WATCH: Sunil Gavaskar asking for backflip celebration from Rishabh Pant after twin century in ENG vs IND 1st Test
After Rishabh Pant's second century in the ENG vs IND 1st Test at Headingley, Sunil Gavaskar was seen playfully asking for a backflip celebration.
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Rishabh Pant once again stole the spotlight with his second century of the match on Day 4 of the first Test against England at Headingley, becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter in Test history to score twin hundreds in a single match. His flamboyant batting style and crowd-pleasing persona had fans eagerly waiting for a repeat of his now-iconic somersault celebration from the first innings.
Even former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was among those anticipating the flip. However, after reaching his century, Pant instead gestured toward Gavaskar, possibly indicating “some time later” in response to the subtle request for a celebration. The moment went viral, showing Pant interacting with the legend from the field while the crowd watched with anticipation.
Speaking after the day’s play on Sony Sports Network, Gavaskar expressed his happiness over Pant’s success. “Very, very happy. I mean, anytime an Indian does well, you feel very happy... So to see this young kid come back, I mean, look what had happened to him with all those, with that crash,” he said, referencing Pant’s remarkable comeback from injury. Gavaskar also spoke about the emotional impact cricket has on Indian families and how performances like Pant’s bring joy to millions.
Gavaskar’s Humour and Vaughan’s Curiosity
After scoring his second century, Pant unveiled a new gesture, pointing toward his eye instead of doing a somersault. This prompted former England captain Michael Vaughan to ask, “Can you explain what that celebration is? I was waiting for that flip as well.” Gavaskar responded, “No, this is, I think, basically thanking the gods above. He had something on his eye. He kind of put us on the signal.”
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In a light-hearted moment, Gavaskar also shared a personal anecdote. “You know what, I've got to confess that after that I came here, and I tried not to do the backflip—no chance... but I used to do the backstand,” he said. “So if I could have done it successfully then, then I would have shown it here, but I wasn't able to.” Pant’s 118-run knock, combined with KL Rahul’s 137, helped India post 364 in their second innings, setting England a target of 371. At stumps, the hosts were 21/0, with Crawley and Duckett unbeaten on 12 and 9.
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