Rishabh Pant’s one-liners from behind the stumps are nothing new. The India wicketkeeper is known for his funny banter with players during matches, with several of his conversations being picked up by the stump microphone.
A similar moment was caught during Day 3 of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Monday. Pant and substitute fielder Sarfaraz Khan were involved in a light-hearted exchange as India’s bowlers put the hosts under pressure.
Pant, Sarfaraz tease Jadeja India had reduced Sri Lanka to 99/5 by lunch, with Manav Suthar leading the attack. However, Ravindra Jadeja was yet to take a wicket at that stage. Sarfaraz was heard telling Jadeja to remain patient, as the Indian bowlers would share the wickets among themselves. "Lamba game hai Jaddu bhai. Mil baat ke khaayenge [It is a long game, we will share the spoils]," Sarfaraz said. Pant then joined the conversation and referred to Jadeja’s famous sword-swinging celebration. "Aur sab talvaar chalayenge!" Rishabh Pant said. The exchange added a fun moment to an otherwise intense session, with Pant suggesting that everyone would get to perform Jadeja’s trademark celebration.
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Suthar, Jadeja lead India’s attack The funny exchange came on a day when Suthar and Jadeja played a key role in India’s bowling effort. Suthar impressed on his Test debut, taking 4-76. He struck with his very first ball and troubled the Sri Lankan batters with his turn, bounce and accurate bowling. Jadeja also made an impact with 3-57 and completed 350 Test wickets during the innings. Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took one wicket each as India produced a strong collective bowling performance.
Dinusha, Dickwella delay India India had reduced Sri Lanka to 90/5 and briefly looked in a position to enforce the follow-on. However, Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella changed the course of the innings with a 146-run partnership for the sixth wicket. The pair showed patience as the ball became softer and offered less assistance to the Indian bowlers. They also used the sweep and reverse-sweep effectively to keep India under pressure. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 284, but the Dinusha-Dickwella partnership made India wait longer for the remaining wickets.
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