Birmingham (England) July 9, 2025 (ANI): In pre-match press conference ahead of the IND vs ENG Test series, Indian Cricket Test Captain Rishabh Pant exuded confidence and determination, expressing the team's strong intent to win. Pant spoke about the squad's preparations, their mindset, and how they plan to tackle the challenges posed by the English team.
00:00When you have a good camaraderie of the field, I think it eventually shows on the field and that is exactly what happened.
00:08What's happening? Because you know, when two people trust each other, it's easier to do the same thing.
00:14The communication is better on the ground.
00:16Our main bowler was not playing because of workload management.
00:21But still, Akash Deep stood up. Siraj stood up.
00:24And that is very nice to see that at this time, when you see this level up, eventually the team becomes better and better.
00:33When you have a momentum in your side, you want that short turnaround.
00:37So we are not thinking about that too much.
00:40Yes, it's good for us to have a momentum.
00:43But still, you know, eventually you got to play the good cricket and which team will play better will win eventually.
00:48Rishabh, from what we've seen so far, the coordination between you and Shubman, multiple times, conversations, you going up, that seems extremely refreshing.
00:58Can you talk about the way the camaraderie is being built, how the team is coming together as a collective, the leadership group, you and Shubman?
01:04See, we feel, like I said before also in PC, that when you have a good camaraderie of the field, I think it eventually shows on the field.
01:16And that is exactly what happened.
01:19What's happening?
01:19Because, you know, when two people trust each other, it's easier to do the same thing.
01:25The communication is better on the ground.
01:27And hopefully we can do the same thing with the whole team going forward and just make it one big unit.
01:34Rishabh, here.
01:39Rishabh, there.
01:40Rishabh, when you play on the country, it's responsible for it.
01:43But when you're not a captain, when you're not a captain, when you're not a leader of the bowling pack, you're not a boomerah,
01:47and you're not a leader of the bowling pack.
01:49And you're not a leader of the bowling pack, you're not a boomerah, you're not a commerce again.
01:51Sometimes it's responsible for it's good, focus.
01:55Definitely, this is the time when you get the chance, step up, level up.
02:01This is an opportunity rather than you see it as a setback
02:05that our main bowler was not playing because of workload management.
02:10But still, Akash Deep stood up. Siraj stood up.
02:14And that is very nice to see that at this time,
02:17when the bowler is level up,
02:20eventually the team becomes better and better.
02:23But you also have to do the work for each individual.
02:28Sir, this is the work for each individual.
02:30So, it's our work too.
02:32Rishabh, Akash Deep has played with our personal battle.
02:39Of course, the world is also talking about bowling,
02:42but we are always talking about this human side.
02:45So, what have you done with Akash Deep?
02:48Or what is the personal battle against Akash Deep?
02:51In the ground, off the field,
02:53what are you talking about?
02:54How do you deal with this mentality
02:56and perform at the time of performance?
02:59Sir, mainly this is,
03:01I had to know that this is happening at IPL time.
03:05But there are some things that
03:07if you keep them personally,
03:09it's always better.
03:10So, definitely conversation has happened.
03:12But the more you keep it personal,
03:14it's better that way.
03:16Rishabh, this test match,
03:18of course, three days before,
03:19you guys are playing a test match at Ajvaston.
03:22And it's a very short time during the test match.
03:25So, is this team a big believer in momentum?
03:28You think that momentum is a factor?
03:30Obviously, it's a new game,
03:31but is momentum one factor?
03:33See, definitely it's a short turnaround,
03:36but like you said,
03:38when you have a momentum in your side,
03:40you want that short turnaround.
03:42So, we are not thinking about that too much.
03:44Yes, it's good for us to have a momentum,
03:47but still, you know,
03:48eventually you got to play the good cricket
03:50and which team will play better will win eventually.
03:53Rishabh, have you got a chance to see the wicket yet?
03:56Because they have been talking about that
03:59there will be a little bit more of pace and movement there.
04:02Given the way your team has played on the last two pitches,
04:05do you think that you have managed to force them
04:09to deviate from their plans on playing flatter tracks
04:12to chase down bigger totals?
04:14Do you consider that as a win for you?
04:17See, as a team generally,
04:19what we plan is whatever the condition is given to us.
04:22See, we don't want to think about
04:24what the opposition is thinking.
04:26Are they changing their plan or not?
04:28Whatever they are doing,
04:29we'll do our best and do better from there.
04:32Simple.
04:33Rishabh, just what Arani asked,
04:36one thing is the wicket.
04:39The other thing is that
04:40the same team combination
04:42as the captain of Jaspreet Bumra already
04:45has already told him,
04:46Shubhman,
04:47is there any other combination
04:49between the three fast bowlers
04:51and Washington and Ravidra Jadeja?
04:54I think the option is still open.
04:56I think discussions are still going on.
04:58But
04:593-1 or 3-2 will get to know by tomorrow only.
05:04So discussions are going on
05:06because what's happening
05:07when you see the wicket
05:08in two days
05:09sometimes it changes the colour
05:11it changes the colour
05:12the moisture becomes less also.
05:14So we have to see the eventually
05:15take a call
05:16how the wicket is going to play.
05:19Rishabh,
05:20when we were in the Leeds
05:21before the preview of PC
05:24the wicket was very high.
05:26I asked you,
05:27you said that
05:28we have a habit
05:29of getting the wicket here
05:30but
05:31in the past two times
05:32the wicket was not high
05:33nor the pace
05:34nor the bounce
05:35nor the swing
05:36so
05:37how are you amazed
05:38and
05:39did you follow
05:40that
05:41that
05:42England
05:43play
05:44more
05:45batting
05:46and
05:47what way
05:48you countered it?
05:49See,
05:50this was the same thing
05:51that the wickets
05:52will be good
05:53in England
05:54because
05:55as they play
05:56their cricket
05:57they should have
05:58a good wicket
05:59for batting
06:00eventually.
06:01So,
06:02how can we
06:03get out of 20 wickets
06:04how can we get out of 20 wickets?
06:05Shubhman was saying
06:06about 20 wickets
06:08that was already planned
06:10that
06:11eventually
06:12batters have to step up
06:13because
06:14two of our seniors
06:15are not very big players
06:16but
06:17like I said
06:18this is the only opportunity
06:19to step up
06:20and
06:21people are doing that
06:22slowly, slowly
06:23eventually
06:24we might do better
06:25as a team.
06:26You've kept a lot
06:27to Jaspreet Bumra.
06:28What makes him so special?
06:30I think everything.
06:34I think
06:35how accurate
06:36he is
06:37the way
06:38his mind works
06:39I think
06:40he's just amazing man.
06:41And is that
06:42late movement
06:43he gets
06:44is that particularly difficult
06:45for a wicketkeeper?
06:46I think it's more difficult
06:47for the wicketkeeper
06:48behind the wicket
06:49than for a batsman
06:50I guess
06:51especially in England.
06:56Rishabh
06:57Ben Stokes
06:58has said
06:59interesting things
07:00that
07:01the balls
07:02are out of shape
07:03he said
07:04that
07:05the rings
07:06should be different
07:07for Dukes
07:08for Dukes
07:09Do you think
07:10that
07:11it's not Dukes
07:12for Dukes?
07:13Do you think
07:14that
07:15the rings
07:16should be different
07:17for Dukes
07:18for Dukes
07:19for Dukes
07:20for Dukes?
07:21I feel
07:22that
07:23it should be different
07:24but
07:25if it's a little
07:26smaller
07:27it will be better
07:28But
07:29how much
07:30the balls
07:31definitely
07:32it's a
07:33I feel
07:34it's a big problem
07:35because the ball
07:36is getting out of shape
07:37but at the same time
07:38it's not up to us
07:39because
07:40visually when you see
07:41the ball
07:42you can see
07:43its D-shape
07:44but the rules
07:45are like such
07:46and unless someone
07:47changes it
07:48it's not up to the players
07:49Rishabh
07:50I think it could be fun
07:51watching you bat
07:52against Jofra Archer
07:53are you looking forward to it
07:54in this test match?
07:55See personally
07:56whenever I step
07:57on the field
07:58I always enjoy my cricket
07:59and try to give my 200%
08:01not particularly
08:03about any individual
08:05just being on the field
08:06yes it's going to be
08:07a good contest always
08:08because he's also
08:09coming back
08:10after a long break
08:11let's see how it goes
08:12Are you pleased to see him?
08:13Yes I'm happy
08:14he's back
08:15Rishabh
08:16Rishabh
08:20some of your teammates
08:21including Shubman
08:22have worked with
08:23Brendan McCullum
08:24before in the IPL
08:25at KKR
08:26have you spoken to them
08:27at all about
08:28what he's like as a coach
08:29and how he might have
08:30influenced some of them
08:31particularly Shubman?
08:32I think personally
08:34I don't know
08:35as of now
08:36how personally
08:37has influenced Shubman
08:38but whenever you talk
08:39to you
08:40Baz
08:41you know
08:42he gives you that freedom
08:43always
08:44the conversation
08:45he does
08:46is always positive
08:47and as a coach
08:48you want someone
08:49to have positive
08:50conversation
08:51and gives you
08:52good feedback
08:53Rishabh
08:54yesterday
08:55he said
08:56that you have
08:57a lot of passion
08:58but
08:59you have a lot of
09:00things
09:01on the stump
09:02bike
09:03you have a lot of
09:04things
09:05you have a lot of
09:06things
09:07you have a lot of
09:08things
09:09you have a lot of
09:10things
09:11as a student
09:13you have a lot of
09:14things
09:15you have a lot of
09:16and you have a lot
09:17and you have
09:18to pressure
09:19to I get them
09:21a lot
09:22you get them
09:23some
09:24little
09:26generally
09:27the idea is
09:28to keep talking to yourself
09:29as a batsman
09:30because
09:31he is big
09:32he's big
09:33he's always big
09:34but
09:35you know
09:36more
09:37I think I am doing the same thing as a kid, I keep telling myself because my coach used to tell me to keep talking to you.
09:53I still try to do the same thing, always.
10:01Rishabh, I think this may have been asked already by Sid but I didn't understand the answer in Hindi.
10:07Do you think this series has had more balls go out of shape than previous series that you have played in?
10:13And also with regard to that, is it satisfactory that the universal ring should be used for both Dukes and Kookaburra balls in your opinion?
10:24I think the ring can be the same for both the balls but like you said, I think in this series what I have seen, the ball is getting D-shaped too much.
10:34That has never happened like this too much.
10:37Is it irritating for the players?
10:40It's definitely irritating for the players because you know, every ball plays in different because when it becomes softer, sometimes it's not doing too much.
10:48But as soon as it changes the ball, it started to do enough.
10:52So, as a batsman, you got to keep adjusting to it.
10:55But at the same time, I feel it's not good for cricket eventually.
10:59Hi, Rishabh. Yesterday, Kotak was saying that you are one of the players who tend to break the momentum of the opposition.
11:08And you've done that before in one of the finals in the World Cup.
11:12So, do you do something differently? Do you think about that or you just play your natural game?
11:17Do you have that in mind that I have to do something differently to break the opposition's momentum?
11:21See, for me personally, I try to have a very clear mindset when I'm batting.
11:28Just playing one ball at a time, that is something which has really helped me.
11:33But personally, when the other team is thinking, yes, I do have an idea what they want me to do.
11:40But eventually, you know, you have to have that self-discipline, how you're going to counter it.
11:45You have to make your own plans and just play the game.
