England captain Stokes relishing Pant battle in India series
Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of a match against England at Headingley, although his heroics were unable to prevent a five-wicket defeat last week that left the hosts 1-0 up in a five-match contest.
The 27-year-old Pant made his intentions clear when he charged down the pitch to just the second ball he faced in Leeds and straight drove Stokes for four — a shot that brought an admiring grin from the England skipper.
Stokes, well capable of aggressive batting himself, expects more fireworks from Pant, even if he hopes to limit the Indian's runs after scores of 134 and 118.
"Even though he's my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket," Stokes told reporters in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the second Test at Edgbaston starting on Wednesday.
"I love the way he takes it on in all formats of the game. He's got a bit of stick in his time, but that type of talent, when you let that type of talent be free, that's what happened last week.
"When you look back on last week and credit to him, two hundreds in the game, we know we're going to get our chances with the way that Rishabh plays. On a different day, it could have looked a little bit different if one of those had gone straight to hand.
"He's a very dangerous player. We know what he brings to the Indian team, but I really enjoy watching Rishabh play cricket."
Stokes, asked if he was prepared for more of the same in Birmingham, replied: "I don't think there's going to be much change in the way that Rishabh takes it on."
'More pressure on India'
A relatively youthful India team, with new captain Shubman Gill leading from the front with a century, were competitive for much of the time at Headingley in a match England won after pulling off the tenth-highest chase in Test history by scoring 371.
But batting collapses of 7-41, after they had been 430-3, and 6-31, from 333-4, proved costly for India in Leeds.
"They are a good team," said Stokes on Tuesday. "They always fight hard, come hard, a very passionate team."
No cricket team faces such intense scrutiny as India, who have now lost seven of their 11 Tests under coach Gautam Gambhir, given the mass enthusiasm for the sport in the world's most populous nation.
"I think it's pretty clear that there's always pressure on the shoulders of international sportsmen," said Stokes. "But playing for India, especially in cricket, there's probably a bit more of it than any other nation. But we don't take anything for granted from last week.
"We tried to put in a performance there (Headingley). Hopefully, we can put one in here that take us to 2-0 this week."
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Handling the social media buzz While Chopra has been and is solely focused on his game, he recently found himself at the receiving end of social media trolls when he invited Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold at the Paris Olympics, to participate in the Neeraj Chopra (NC) Classic event in Bengaluru. The event named after Neeraj Chopra himself has been granted an 'A' category certification by World Athletics and will have Peters, Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil), Thomas Rohler (Germany), Curtis Thompson (USA), Martin Konecny (Poland), Julius Yego (Kenya), Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka), Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal and Kishore Jena (India). While Nadeem will not participate, the invite was sent much before the Pahalgam attack. 'People who know the background and who understand the sports world are clued in on the issue. Also, it was not from my side, as Arshad had won the Olympic gold; he had to be invited. From the World Athletics team, we are mandated to follow the rules. But it is okay, as I was busy training, and that is where my focus always has been. Those who follow sports can understand what is right and what is wrong,' is all Chopra comments when we probe him about the controversy. As far as the forthcoming NC Classic (taking place on July 5) is concerned, he admits it is a big responsibility, and while he wants to play, he has other responsibilities as well. 'But the team is also working very well, and we are ready. I need to work harder now, and it's not just about playing, but I am very excited for what will come.' Interestingly, Chopra was in the news again when a fan called Ranjith from Coimbatore requested Rs2,000 on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), in a post that caught his attention. He immediately surprised the fan by offering him a full VVIP experience with accommodation, which is also a testament to his humility. 'You will be staying 90 metres away from the stadium,' is what he has told his fan. The NC Classic 2025 is also India's first global javelin competition, so there is a lot of attention on the same, and interestingly, it has notched up 16 brand associations as well. Looking ahead As a successful player, Chopra has also been the favourite of brands and has associations with Audi, Under Armour, Omega, Samsung, Gillette, and Visa, among others. However, what augurs well for him is his focus on the game and not the outcome. This year is also special on a personal note, as he got married in a low-key ceremony to former tennis pro Himani Mor. His former coach Klaus Bartonietz has been quoted saying it is his way of being 'immersed in the process' that has helped him and his game. Another characteristic that has held Chopra in good stead is his constant need to look at ways to improve. With an upbringing that has instilled in him a deep sense of integrity and humility, he is known for his dedication to the sport and has made a name as a professional. For someone who has always been on time and well prepared, it is his dogged determination that he is known for. All qualities that make him the athlete that he is. Looking ahead, Chopra says that he wants to focus on playing well, staying healthy and winning as many medals as possible for the country. In the latest javelin rankings that were released at the end of June, he is on top of the table with 1445 points, followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters with 1431 points. And as he sets his sight on the 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships in September 2025 in Tokyo, he knows that, as always, he will let his javelin do all the talking.
