Rishabh Pant mesmerised the Headingley crowd with a spectacular century against England during the first Test of the five-match series on Saturday. The left-handed batsman marked his achievement with a somersault, sending the crowd in Leeds into a frenzy.. This century not only thrilled the fans but also allowed Pant to surpass MS Dhoni, becoming the Indian wicketkeeper-batter with the most centuries. Pant’s remarkable knock came to a close at 134 when he was dismissed by Josh Tongue, following a brief lapse in concentration.

While commentating for Sky Sports, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik questioned whether head coach Gautam Gambhir had influenced Pant’s decision-making on the field. Karthik hinted that Pant might have been encouraged to change his approach after the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Karun Nair.

During the 108th over, Tongue bowled a delivery that swung back late. Pant, who chose not to play at the ball, was hit around the knee roll, and the replays revealed that the ball had gone on to hit the middle and leg stump.

“It’s interesting that when a message was given to Rishabh Pant, it seemed to restrict his natural style. He was playing with a carefree attitude, but the notion of telling him to tone it down doesn’t suit every player, I suppose,” Dinesh Karthik said.

“As a coach, it’s perfectly natural to want to convey a message to the batter. However, with time, you learn that for some players, how that message is delivered matters a great deal what tone is used and the language chosen play a crucial role in bringing out the best in them,” he added

“It might be that a unique approach is required for Rishabh Pant to achieve the best outcomes,” Karthik said