WATCH: Ishan Kishan Pays Tribute To Rishabh Pant With Breathtaking Half-Century Using Wicketkeeper's Bat

If Rishabh Pant had been fit, Ishan Kishan might not have had the opportunity to make his Test debut against the West Indies. However, due to an unfortunate car crash in December last year, Rishabh Pant has been out of action and unable to participate in cricket since then.

In the absence of Pant, Ishan Kishan made his Test debut during the 1st Test against the West Indies last week. He displayed an impressive performance, achieving his maiden Test fifty in just 33 balls on Day 4 of the 2nd Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Sunday. A noteworthy incident that caught the attention of fans was Kishan batting with Pant's bat, which subsequently became viral. Moreover, Kishan reached his fifty in style, hitting a one-handed six, a signature move reminiscent of Rishabh Pant's playing style.

Kishan learns the Pant trade

During his time at the National Cricket Academy, Ishan Kishan had the opportunity to spend valuable time with Rishabh Pant. Kishan mentioned that he received some useful wicketkeeping tips from his senior counterpart. Their association dates back to their under-19 days, and Kishan expressed gratitude for having someone like Pant to advise him, particularly regarding his bat positioning.

“There are so many senior players who keep talking to the bowlers. It should be a good game tomorrow. We need to hit the right areas and important to get early wickets. It was one of my dream to get into the whites. I just wanted to go in and hit every ball. Mostly thankful to my parents who have always supported me,” he added.

India closes in on victory, Windies look to fight

At the close of the day's play, the West Indies cricket team found themselves at 76/2, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul unbeaten at 24 and Jermaine Blackwood at 20. Prior to this, India had made a declaration of their second innings at 181/2, with Ishan Kishan scoring an impressive 52 not out, accompanied by Shubman Gill's unbeaten 29. Setting a formidable target of 365 runs for the Windies, India enjoyed a comfortable lead of 364 runs. During their innings, Rohit Sharma contributed with a well-played 57, while Yashasvi Jaiswal also made a quick 38 for India.

In response to India's first innings total of 438, the West Indies struggled and were dismissed for a mere 255 runs, trailing behind by 183 runs at that stage. The West Indies skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite, exhibited the highest score for his team with a notable 75. Alick Athanaze (37), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (33), and Kirk McKenzie (32) also made commendable contributions with their batting, but it wasn't enough to match India's dominant performance.

Published on: Monday, July 24, 2023, 01:20 PM IST