My Batting Must Be Funny: Matthew Wade Takes A Dig At Rishabh Pant

Australian batsman, Matthew Wade, and India’s wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant finally gave some banter for fans to enjoy and talk about after more than half of the tour went by with an ostentatious friendship display between the players of both sides.

Rishabh Pant, who was involved in the famous ‘babysit’ and ‘temporary captain’ banter with Australia captain, Tim Paine on the previous tour, irritated the makeshift opener, Matthew Wade with his excessive laughs and giggles.

Batting on the third day of the ongoing Boxing Day Test,  Wade took a dig at Pant for laughing after the left-hander played a Jasprit Bumrah delivery. He comically asked Pant whether the keeper is laughing at himself looking at the big screen.

 “You looking at yourself on the big screen again? It’s funny, I’ll give you that. Very funny, watching yourself on the screen,” Matthew Wade sledged Pant.

Pant didn’t respond to Wade’s comments and kept motivating the bowler, as he has been doing the entire Test match from behind the stumps; his ‘come on Ash’ – encouraging off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin – is viral on social media.

This didn’t end here. After smashing a delivery to the boundary he looked straight at Pant. Also, on the last ball of the session, while the left-hander left an away turning ball from Ashwin, he moved steps into Pant getting in close proximity with the keeper, and both exchanged a momentary stare.

Post the session, Wade said that Pant is always just laughing and doesn’t speak much. He is confused if the wicket-keeper is laughing at Wade’s batting.

“He just laughs all the time. He doesn’t really say much, he just always laughs at you. I don’t know what’s so funny, it must be my batting,” said Matthew Wade as quoted by Fox Sports.

These two are enjoying each other's company, it seems ?pic.twitter.com/Y8IBpkqnR8

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) December 28, 2020

Matthew Wade played a gritty knock; India inch closer to victory

Matthew Wade, who played an attacking knock of 30 runs from 39 balls in Australia’s first innings, showed great adaptability in the second innings. Wade was dismissed playing a rash shot by Ashwin in the first innings while trying to take on the off-spinner.

However, in the second innings, knowing that his team is trailing by a huge 131 runs, the southpaw mellowed down his game- he bided time against the pacers, faced out the new ball, and was remained calm against Ashwin. Wade, uncharacteristically played 137 balls and scored 40 runs with the help of just three boundaries.

He was set at the crease and it was time to cash in on the hard work he had done – unfortunately, Wade was foxed by a smart piece of bowling from Ravindra Jadeja, who darted the ball in his pads with a quicker delivery. By the end of the day, India is in a commanding position as the hosts have lost 6 wickets and have a small lead of 2 runs.

Also Read: Watch: Ajinkya Rahane’s Gesture After Being Run Out Wins A Million Hearts