Rishabh Pant and Ravi Shastri. (Photo Source: BCCI)
In a low-scoring thriller, India triumphed over arch-rivals Pakistan by six runs in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash in New York on Sunday. While the batting struggled, it was India’s fielding and bowling that proved to be the difference, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s acrobatics behind the stumps earning him the ‘Best Fielder’ award presented by a very special guest.
It was yet another day when India’s fielders stepped up in the intense pressure of an IND-PAK blockbuster clash. The left-hander took three superb catches, including the blinder to dismiss Fakhar Zaman off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. He also took catches of Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim. His commitment and athleticism did not go unnoticed by the support staff.
After the win, fielding coach T Dilip praised the team’s fielding intensity and coordination in the dressing room. The Best Fielder Award, a tradition that was started in the ODI World Cup 2023, continues in the ongoing ICC event for the team. Dilip invited former India head coach Ravi Shastri to hand Pant his ‘Best Fielder’ award for his spectacular fielding during the India vs Pakistan clash.
“Today was a great example of ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’. One thing that stood out today was the sheer commitment towards excellence in fielding. In high-pressure situations, being proactive is extremely important. Today, we backed each other up, looked after each other, and worked as one unit. Outstanding effort, well done. This level of coordination makes us effective and sets us apart from any other team,” Dilip said in a video posted by BCCI.
Watch the video below:
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“I had tears in my eyes when I read about his accident: Ravi Shastri
Emotional Shastri, who had witnessed Pant’s horrific car accident in December 2022 and recovery first-hand, was full of praise for the 26-year-old cricketer’s comeback and his recent performances.
“I had tears in my eyes when I read about his accident, when I saw him in the hospital, it was even worse. For him to come back from there and to be playing one of the biggest games of all time India vs Pakistan was a fantastic display. Batting, everybody knew, but your wicketkeeping and the range of movement is a tribute to the hard work you put in. It’s an inspiration to millions around the globe that you can snatch a win from the jaws of death,” Shastri said.
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Coming to the match, after being put into bat first, India were bundled out for 119, with only Pant’s 42 off 31 balls being the only standout performance with the bat against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack led by Naseem Shah (3/21) and Haris Rauf (3/21). In reply, Babar Azam and Co. also struggled, losing wickets regularly and were restricted to 113/7 despite Mohammad Rizwan’s 31.