Birmingham, June 30: England pacer Chris Woakes has acknowledged that neutralising the threat posed by Rishabh Pant will be a key talking point in the host camp ahead of the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston, starting July 2.
Pant, India’s vice-captain, was at his swashbuckling best in the series opener at Headingley, slamming 134 and 118 in two innings, even as India suffered a five-wicket defeat. With the left-hander’s counter-attacking approach disrupting England’s rhythm, Woakes conceded that Pant remains a major concern heading into the second Test.
“Rishabh’s a player who you don’t really know what’s coming next,” Woakes said at a press conference on Monday. “He keeps you on your toes as a bowler. It’s exciting to bowl to him, but at the same time, he can really shift the momentum.
He makes the game move forward quickly, which is what makes it fun but also very challenging.”
Pant’s twin centuries in Leeds were part of India’s impressive batting display that saw five players reach triple figures — including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul. However, it was Pant’s fearless strokeplay that stood out, unsettling England’s plans with aggressive shot-making.
Woakes confirmed that the England camp will hold detailed discussions on how to tackle Pant’s threat, along with a few other Indian batters.“He scored two hundreds at Headingley and took his chances, and they paid off,” Woakes added.
“Hopefully, this time we can get him a bit earlier. We haven’t had our bowling unit meeting yet, but I’m sure there will be discussions around how to adjust our approach, not just to Pant but to several players we faced last week.” (IANS)
