NEW DELHI: Apart from keeping wickets, wicket-keepers are also unofficially entrusted with the job of keeping the fielders cheered up and encouraged.
And Rishabh Pant is one of the best ‘talkers’ from behind the stumps in world cricket.
As the last-wicket stand between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood frustrated India on Day 2 of the first Test in Perth, Pant cheered up his India teammates in his typical style.

Coming near the stumps, Pant said, “Dheele pad ke kaam nahi chalega bhai, Wasu (Washington Sundar) thoda mahaul banana padega. Thoda dum lagana padega bhai. (Things won’t improve if we loosen the grip now, we have to push hard.)”
Former India cricketer and head coach, Ravi Shastri also echoed Pant’s words saying breaking the Starc-Hazlewood partnership is important.
The official broadcaster of the series in India shared a clip of the video on their official X handle:

Starc and Hazlewood added 25 runs for the last Aussie wicket and their stand was finally broken by Harshit Rana who dismissed his former KKR teammate Starc as Australia were bowled out for 104 runs in their first innings at lunch with captain Jasprit Bumrah taking 5/30, to help India secure a 46-run lead.