“Lie Down” On The Pitch: Ajinkya Rahane On What He Told Rishabh Pant During Gabba Test vs Australia

The 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is one of the most memorable Test series ever as it saw a battered and bruised Team India overcoming all odds and stunning Australia in their own backyard. Heading into the fourth Test at Gabba, the series was level at 1-1 and eventually it all boiled down to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant as he led India’s charge to chase down 328 in the final innings. It is important to note that Australia had not lost at the Gabba for 32 years before India eventually defeated them.

Pant walked out to bat at the score of 167/3 with Ajinkya Rahane going back to the hut. Almost one-and-a-half years later, Rahane has now revealed what he told Pant as he was storming to the pitch to take guard and how he asked him to just see out the session before tea.

“When I was going back to the dressing room, Rishabh Pant was coming in. I just told him, 15 minutes are left for tea, play these 15 minutes somehow, stay at the pitch, if you want to lie down, do that. I won’t tell you anything after tea,” said Rahane on Voot Select’s recently-released docu-series ‘Bando Mei Tha Dum’.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj also said that when Pant walked out to bat, the entire side was nervous.

“When Rishabh went out to bat, we were all nervous,” said Siraj in the fourth episode of the Docu series.

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Eventually, Pant led India’s charge and Team India chased down 328 to register a memorable series win.

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, many Indian players, including Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah had gotten injured and in the final Test, the likes of T Natarajan and Washington Sundar made their debut in the longest format.