Rishabh Pant’s frustration boiled over during the first hour of play on Day 3 at Headingley, as the India wicketkeeper reacted angrily when the on-field umpire, Chris Gaffaney, refused to change the ball despite repeated complaints. After Jasprit Bumrah’s appeal for a ball change was turned down following a check through the gauge, Pant took it upon himself to raise the issue again with the umpire. But when the ball was once again deemed fit for use, Pant couldn’t hide his displeasure, flinging it backhanded in the direction of bowler Mohammed Siraj in a moment of visible irritation.
The act drew an audible response from the Headingley crowd, with loud jeers echoing around the stands at Pant’s reaction. While the throw wasn’t aimed at anyone and Siraj calmly retrieved the ball, the gesture could still attract scrutiny from the match referee, given how openly it showcased dissent towards an umpiring decision.
It was a rare flash of temperament from Pant, who has otherwise had a strong Test both with the gloves and the bat, having scored a counter-attacking century in India’s first innings.
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India’s complaints didn’t end there, however. In Siraj’s next over, captain Shubman Gill, too, had a word with the same umpire over the condition of the ball. Bumrah, too, approached the umpire again after a delivery. While the umpire’s decision remained unmoved, former India cricketer Ravi Shastri, who was on-air during the passage of play, opined that it’s “not worth” going to the umpire repeatedly.
“It’s not worth going to the umpire. Shubman Gill should ask everyone [to] just wait for 4-5 overs, then go. This is only going to irritate the umpires further,” Shastri said.
At the time of the incident, England were gaining momentum with Harry Brook at the crease. Just a delivery prior to Pant’s interaction with the umpire, Brook showcased his intent with a superb ramp shot over gully for four, after dancing down the track to disrupt Siraj’s length. India had placed a packed close-in field, including a silly mid-on and silly mid-off.
Earlier, India struck an early blow in the opening minutes of the third day of the Headingley Test, removing centurion Ollie Pope for 106. Prasidh Krishna, who had an off day on Day 2, picked the wicket, finding a nick off Pope on a delivery outside the off stump. Pant made no mistake behind the stumps to ensure Krishna registered his first wicket of the match.
India scored 471 in their first innings, but their three centurions, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, were let down by the lower middle order. The side lost seven wickets within just 41 runs.
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