Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik explained the reason behind Rishabh Pant missing his Test hundred by four runs against Sri Lanka at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali on Friday.
Pant joined forces with Shreyas Iyer after Hanuma Vihari, who scored 58 from 128 balls departed to Vishwa Fernando in the 47th over. Pant and Iyer build their innings playing some spectacular shots against the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Sri Lanka all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva broke the partnership of the former Delhi Capitals pair as he sent Iyer packing back to the dressing room by trapping him leg-before the wicket. However, Iyer’s dismissal didn’t stop a rampant Pant from playing a vintage knock.
Rishabh Pant smashed Lasith Embuldeniya for 22 runs in a over
Pant smashed Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya for 22 runs in the 76th over, the southpaw hit three sixes and a boundary to the left-arm spinner. Pant smashed nine boundaries and four sixes to race his score to run-a-ball 96.
When you are batting in the 90s, it messes with your head: Dinesh Karthik
Pant wasn’t successful in reaching his fifth Test hundred as he was bowled by Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal at the end of the day. Karthik said that once a batter crosses the 90-run mark, they tend to try many things and somehow it leads to their dismissals.
“When you are batting in the 90s, it messes with your head. It always gets to you and you are trying different things when you are in your 90s. You know the board is ticking and a special figure is around the corner,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“If you divide Rishabh Pant into two parts, the second part of his innings today will be the brash Rishabh that he likes to be. But the first part of his innings was a tribute to media and all the people who said, ‘Rishabh please come and take your time before you play your shots,” he added.
India ended Day 1 at 357 for six wickets down as Jadeja (45) was batting along with his spin bowling partner Ravichandran Ashwin (10).