During the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston, a light-hearted exchange between Harry Brook and Rishabh Pant caught the attention of fans and quickly went viral. The incident occurred on Day 4 of the Test, during India's second innings.
With Rishabh Pant batting fluently alongside Shubman Gill, England's Harry Brook engaged in some playful banter with the Indian wicket-keeper. Brook cheekily reminded Pant that the record for the fastest century in Test cricket was 55 balls. Notably, Brook's own fastest century came in the IPL 2023 season, where he scored an unbeaten 100 off 55 balls for SunRisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders.
In response to Brook's remark, Pant, with a calm demeanor and a grin, simply replied, "I'm not greedy for records. If it happens, it happens". Pant's response reflected his relaxed approach to the game and his focus on contributing to the team's success rather than chasing individual milestones.
True to his word, Pant batted in his trademark fearless style, maintaining a brisk scoring rate without forcing the pace specifically for records. He scored a lively 65 off 58 balls, including eight boundaries and three sixes. More importantly, he formed a crucial 100-run partnership with Shubman Gill, who was also in excellent form, having scored three centuries in the series, including a remarkable 269 in the first innings. Pant's innings once again demonstrated his ability to accelerate the scoring while respecting the match conditions.
The exchange between Brook and Pant highlighted the friendly side of cricket and the mutual respect between the two players. Fans appreciated Pant's cool and humble response, as well as Brook's confidence and humor. This moment of levity provided a welcome break from the high-pressure atmosphere of the Test match.
India went on to score 427 for six declared in their second innings, setting England a daunting target of 608 runs. Pant's contribution was valuable in setting up a challenging total for the opposition.