India vice-captain Rishabh Pant can be handed disciplinary action for dissent after his attempt to have the ball changed was rejected on the third day of the first Test against England at Headingley on Sunday.
Pant, clearly irritated, hurled the ball onto the turf after umpire Paul Reiffel turned down his request to replace the 60-over-old ball. The event happened during the first session, with Indian players consistently raising concerns regarding the shape of the ball.
Pace leader Jasprit Bumrah was the initial one to bring it up, walking up to umpire Chris Gaffaney at the start of the day. With the ball reaching the 60-over mark, Pant asked Reiffel to apply the regular gauge for a test of the ball's shape. The ball satisfied the test, leading Reiffel to refuse the switch. On Pant's insistence for a second test, Reiffel remained firm in his decision.
While Pant returned to take his fielding position, he hurled the ball onto the ground, leaving Reiffel clearly shocked. The Headingley crowd also responded with shock at the momentary spectacle, as the Indian vice-captain looked agitated.
Indian captain Shubman Gill returned two overs later to approach Gaffaney with yet another request for a change, but that too was rejected.
India's bowlers did not find it easy to create movement with the old ball in the morning session. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was brought in early in a bid to make use of rough spots, but it was pacers who ultimately came up with breakthroughs.
Prasidh Krishna sent centurion Ollie Pope packing overnight in a sharply rising delivery in the 52nd over.
Pope, resuming on 106, tried to cut but could manage only an edge through to Pant. Mohammed Siraj followed with the wicket of England captain Ben Stokes for 20 in the 65th over, caught behind after a bright start.
Harry Brook, rescued in the later stages of Day 2, kept the Indian bowlers on their toes with a free-wheeling strokeplay, sprinting past 40 at lunch.
Even in his moment of anger, Pant maintained his good form at Headingley.
On Saturday, he scored his seventh Test century and became just the third Indian wicketkeeper to reach 150 catches in the game, following MS Dhoni and Syed Kirmani.
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