Rishabh Pant was batting confidently on 72 runs from 99 balls when he attempted an aerial shot against Shakib Al Hasan on the last ball of the 49th over. However, he didn’t quite connect with the ball, sending it high into the air rather than the boundary. It was a golden opportunity for Bangladesh to break the crucial fourth-wicket partnership between Pant and Shubman Gill in the second innings of the ongoing first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
But Bangladesh captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, dropped a straightforward catch, gifting Pant a crucial lifeline on his Test comeback after a 21-month absence from the Indian team. The reaction from the Indian dressing room was priceless.
WATCH – Rishabh Pant Stuns with Spectacular One-Handed Six Against Bangladesh
Captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Their expressions of disbelief, along with KL Rahul’s stunned look, quickly went viral on social media, capturing the collective surprise as Shanto missed what seemed like a routine catch.
— Kirkit Expert (@expert42983) September 21, 2024
Rishabh Pant’s partnership with Gill proved pivotal for India, as the duo added 124 runs in the first session of Day 3. Their efforts helped India surpass the 200-run mark in the second innings and extend their overall lead to a commanding 432 runs.
Najmul Shanto just dropped Rishabh Pant and India captain Rohit Sharma is laughing. What’s happening in Chennai 😭😭😭#INDvBAN #tapmad #DontStopStreaming pic.twitter.com/qxAQGamXoX
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 21, 2024
A dreadful drop by captain Shanto! 😵
Rishabh Pant gets a lifeline—now it’s time for him to seize the opportunity and smash a century 🤩💪 pic.twitter.com/FxSC4M15tW
— Cricket Chamber (@cricketchamber) September 21, 2024
“DROPPED!!!
Pant is looking dangerous at the moment, but Shanto drops him. Everything seems to be going against Bangladesh.”#INDvBAN #RishabhPant #gill pic.twitter.com/ZZNv8tyMsk
— Robiee (@Robinroji1) September 21, 2024
Jab rishabh pant ki catch hawa me gyi to kl rahul ko laga out aur wo seat se khade hoke ane lag gye lekin catch chhut gyi aur unko phir se chair par baithna pada jaha siraj bhi has rhe the 😅#INDvBAN #RishabhPant #KLRahul pic.twitter.com/e13Xb5BjP6
— CRICUU (@CRICUUU) September 21, 2024
By lunchtime, Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 82 runs off 108 balls, and Gill was closing in on his own century with 86 runs off 137 deliveries.Pant had smashed nine fours and three sixes during his explosive innings, while Gill, recovering from a first-innings duck, had struck seven boundaries and three sixes.
WATCH – Rishabh Pant’s Playful Antics: Suggests Field Changes To Bangladesh During First Test
If Shubman Gill goes on to convert his impressive knock into a century, he will become the second Indian player, after Rohit Sharma, to score five or more centuries in the World Test Championship (WTC). Rohit currently holds nine WTC hundreds, while Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, and Gill each have four to their names.
