'Why was Rishabh Pant told to change his stance': Sunil Gavaskar bemused at umpires' decision during 3rd Test
Sunil Gavaskar expressed his dismay at the umpires asking India keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant not to bat out of his crease.
Sunil Gavaskar never shies away from making his point loud and clear. After expressing his disagreements with Nasser Hussain’s comments about India’s previous generation cricketers getting ‘bullied,’ the legendary cricketer this time expressed his dismay at the umpires asking India keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant not to bat out of his crease. Gavaskar’s comments came during Day 3 of the India vs England third Test at Headingley in Leeds.
Gavaskar said footmarks don't determine a batsman's stance. "I was wondering why was he told to change his stance, if that is true. I only read it. Batsman can stand anywhere, even on the middle of the pitch and what about when the batsman goes down the track against the spinners (footmarks can form even then)," Gavaskar said while commentating on the third day of the match.
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His fellow commentator and former India player Sanjay Manjrekar called it "ridiculous". Pant spoke about this after India were bowled out for 78 on the opening day of the match.
"Because I was standing outside the crease and my front-foot was coming into the danger area, so he (the umpire) told me that you can't stand there," Pant had said during the virtual post-day press conference on Wednesday.
"So, I have (had) to change my stance, but as a cricketer, I don't have to think too much about that, because it's everyone who is going to do that, umpires are going to say the same thing. I didn't do that the next ball and you move on."
The decision by the two English umpires once again that whether it's time that ICC reverts back to its two neutral on-field umpires for Test matches which has been stopped due to travel restrictions in the post Covid-19 world.
Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara led India's fight back in as they reached 215 for 2 at stumps on Friday. Pujara was unbeaten on 91 with captain Kohli (45) for company.. India are still 139 runs away from making England bat again.
