India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has received an official reprimand and one demerit point for showing dissent at an umpiring decision on the third afternoon at Headingley. The sanction, a Level-1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, is Pant’s first offence in the last two years.
The flashpoint came in the 61st over of England’s first innings with Ben Stokes and Harry Brook batting. Pant queried the state of the ball, hoping it would be replaced. After the umpires used the gauge and declined his request, he threw the ball to the turf in front of them. The ICC later confirmed the charge under Article 2.8, noting in its statement: “When the umpires refused to change the ball after checking it with the ball gauge, the wicket-keeper showed his dissent by throwing the ball on the ground in front of the umpires.”
Match referee Richie Richardson accepted Pant’s immediate admission of guilt. On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel, along with third umpire Chris Brown, had laid the charge.
Speaking after play, India captain Rohit Sharma kept the matter brief. “We’ve talked it through. Rishabh knows the standards we set. We move on.” Head coach Rahul Dravid added: “Mistakes happen in the heat of the moment. The important thing is he owned it straight away.”
Former England skipper Michael Atherton, on television duty, felt the punishment fitted the act. “It was petulant rather than malicious,” he said, “so a reprimand is about right.”
Pant’s outburst took a little gloss off an otherwise superb personal match: the left-hander struck centuries in each innings, something only five wicketkeepers have done in Tests.
As for the cricket, the first Test remains finely balanced. India have set England 371, and the hosts closed day four on 21 without loss, openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley looking settled. “It’s a good pitch,” Crawley said. “If we get in, the target isn’t out of reach.”
Play resumes at 11 am local time with the series opener, and Pant’s temperament, still under the microscope.
