Four pacers in the team, overcast conditions, yet India skipper Virat Kohli decided to bat first. England captain Joe Root was happy to have lost the toss and field. The visitors didn't take long to highlight why Kohli was wrong in deciding to send his men to bat on the 'tacky' Headingley pitch by bundling them out for just 78 runs. But, Rishabh Pant feels the team can't be thinking about the decision at the toss as much.
Rohit Sharma was the top scorer for India from the first innings, scoring 19 runs while Ajinkya Rahane came in second with 18. It was James Anderson who rattled the Indian top-order, bagging three wickets including the big one of Kohli. Pant, who usually looks unperturbed with the dismissal of his teammates, also failed to last long on the crease.
The chatter among the experts has been that Kohli was wrong to bat first and should've rather made the use of overcast conditions, especially as he had 4 pacers in the ranks. Pant, speaking to media at the press conference after the end of the day's play, said that the team backs whatever decision is taken at the toss and doesn't like to think much about it.
"Whatever decision we take, we take as a team," Pant said. "So once we have decided we are going to bat first, we are going to back our decision. Yes, we could have applied much better but we can't keep on thinking too much about the toss.
Reflecting on the nature of the surface in the first session on Day 1, Pant said that although the Indian batters could've applied themselves better, England pacers bowled in really good areas to get rid of them.
"It's part and parcel of the game. Everyday the batting unit is giving its 100% but sometimes it doesn't go well. In the morning, the wicket was slightly on the softer side and they bowled in good areas. We could have applied ourselves better. We can learn from it and only move on. That's all we can do as cricketers. You learn from your mistakes and improve."
In comparison, Indian pacers struggled to impose themselves and ended the first day's play without a single wicket to their name. The wicket-keeper batsman feels the conditions became much more conducive for batters when England openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed came out to bat.
"They took the heavy roller, the wicket was much more settled down, and they batted nicely also," he said. "But when we batted, the wicket was slightly soft, and they bowled in good areas, but we could have applied [ourselves] much better…"
Pant himself has been in the spotlight for a while now, having become a strong pillar for the team, especially with the bat. With the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane struggling for runs, Pant has played a number of rescue innings for India. The young cricketer, however, sees the situation as more of an opportunity than pressure.
"As a cricketer, I don't think in that manner." Pant said. "Whatever be the situation, you think about the team first and what you can do in that situation… if the top-order collapses and you get an opportunity, I see it as an opportunity that if you can bail the team out of that situation, you are going to do wonders in your life, as a cricketer."
England remain in the driving seat in the 3rd Test, with a healthy 42-run lead on Day 1. India would really need to be at their absolute best if they are to get anything out from the match.
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