During the press interaction after the conclusion of the first day of third Test between India and England in Leeds, Rishabh Pant had revealed he was forced to change his stance while batting as the on-field umpire asked him to not step on the danger area.
Pant was batting outside the crease and thus his front-foot was venturing into what is considered the ‘danger zone’ on the pitch where they can leave foot marks which may prove beneficial to the bowlers.
“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.
However, India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the call by the umpire arguing what would happen when a batter charges down the track against the spinner and end up leaving foot marks in the danger zone.
“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," Gavaskar said while on-air during the third day’s play of the Test.
However, Pant said he didn’t read too much into it and moved on from it. “So, I have 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," Pant said.
The third Test is heading towards an interesting finish with India putting up a vastly improved show with the bat in their second dig. After being shot down for a mere 78 inside two sessions on Day 1, the tourists reached 215/2 on Friday, still 139 runs behind England’s first innings total of 432-all out.
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