Pant smashed five towering sixes, all in the arc between long-on and deep mid-wicket, off left-arm spinner Jack Leach (17-2-94-0). Leach wanted to target the rough outside Pant’s off-stump but every time he tossed it up, the stocky man from Rourkee came out like a raging bull, who had been shown the red rag, and hit the spinner with the turn into the Chepauk stands. He dazzled with his brilliance and then in an annoying manner, forgot that discretion is always the better part of valour while trying to hit off-spinner Dom Bess (23-5-55-4) over extra cover against the spin. This was after dispatching England’s most successful bowler to the square leg boundary. And he found the only man stationed at the deep extra cover, none other than Leach, who latched onto it as if his life depended on it. It was an innings that can evoke different emotions depending on one’s perception of Pant.

India’s Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates his half century. Pics/BCCI

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A Pant fan, who loves his craft, will feel an overriding sense of joy and exhilaration just seeing him hit Leach for four sixes few minutes after India were down and out at 73 for 4. But for a Test cricket fan exasperation can take over just thinking about the possibilities had he decided to exercise some caution. Pant has literally thrown away Test hundreds four times in his short career.

Pujara said the swashbuckler has to be more “sensible” with his shot selection while putting the team’s requirements above everything else. “It’s his [Pant] natural game so we cannot restrict him much. He can’t be too defensive because, by doing so, he can get out quickly. It is good for his game that he keeps on playing his shots but, at times, he has to be very selective. He has to put the team first and be little sensible at times. He has done that most of the times but there are times when he gets out and looks ugly,” said Pujara at the end of the day’s play.

“He needs to understand which shots to play and which not. He needs to understand in which situation it is important that he stays in the crease. He will learn from his mistakes. There are times when he can be little more patient and build partnerships and the coaching staff always communicates that to him,” added Pujara, who suffered a freak dismissal when his pull shot rebounded off Ollie Pop’s back and lobbed up to Rory Burns. 

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