ENG vs IND | Twitter in splits as Pant denies Gavaskar's summersault request to showcase new celebration

‌India recovered exceptionaly after losing a wicket early on Day 3 on Headingley with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant stitching together a potentially match-winning 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. With the conditions overcast and a so far docile pitch beginning to misbehave, Rahul was content retreating into a shell and absorbing pressure but Pant was having none of it. The wicket-keeper batter grasped every opportunity to attack even while Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes delivered fiery spells, and took a particular liking to Shoaib Bashir's off breaks. However, having been dismissed in the 90s on seven previous occassions, Pant applied the brakes as he neared the three-figure mark and spent 26 deliveries in the nervous nineties. Once the inevitable century did arrive though, making Pant just the second wicketkeeper to score twin tons, cinema followed.

Even with Ben Stokes luring the batter into a big stroke to bring up the magical figure, much like Pant had achieved in the first innings with a six, the Indian vice-captain calmly nudged Bashir around to get to his hundred. As he completed the second, Pant raised his helmet and looked to the heavens with closed eyes before raising his bat to Headingley standing on its feet. Amongst the ovation-givers was Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar who had infamously been embroiled in controversy after calling Pant 'stupid, stupid, stupid' on air while criticizing his shot selection during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under earlier in the year. Pant continued with his celebrations by taking off the gloves, seemingly preparing for the summersault celebration he brought back into vogue during the Indain Premier League and replicated in the first innings, but instead settled for funkily shaping his fingers into binoculars. The teasing clearly left Gavaskar wanting, as he demanded a summersault with gleaming eyes and a beaming grin, albeit Pant respectfully denied the request by signalling he'll bring the summersault out next time around.

Twitterati was thoroughly amused.   

No somersault

Says it all

He's enjoying

Something is going on

Lovely

Elite

Back flip

He should've done it

Cartwheel

Cute