India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has explained his unusual on-field behaviour of talking to himself while batting, a habit that fans and commentators have frequently noticed through the stump mic during the current five-match Test series against England. Speaking once again to the media before the third Test at Lord’s, Pant was questioned if this talk was an addition to his game that had just happened or rather more apparent because of the heightened mic sensitivity. Replying to this, the wicketkeeper-batter explained that it’s a long habit that he has been following since childhood that keeps him concentrated and reviewing his game in real time.
“The general idea has been to keep talking to myself as a batsman. I always talk a lot to myself but you get to know about it because stumps mic catches it. I have doing this as a kid.
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“My coach late Tarak Sinha taught me to keep talking to yourself. That’s what I have been doing since childhood; it helps me a lot.”
With India going into the Lord’s Test after a dominant 336-run victory at Edgbaston, Pant also spoke about the task of confronting England seamer Jofra Archer, who is to make a comeback in Test cricket after a long injury layoff. While agreeing to Archer being a skilled and quick bowler, Pant insisted that his mindset does not change being focused and doing what the team demands.
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He also spoke about India’s team selection for the game, mentioning that the last XI will be finalized according to pitch conditions and balance needed for the ground.
