'He knows how I play': Ishan Kishan thanks Rishabh Pant after maiden Test fifty

Port of Spain, July 24 (IANS) India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan thanked Rishabh Pant after his maiden Test fifty against West Indies on Sunday, and revealed both the players had a conversation at the NCA before the beginning of the series.

Pant has been recovering from the horrific car accident that occurred on December 30, 2022. His rehabilitation has been closely monitored by the BCCI, who last week reported that the cricketer had made significant progress. 

On Sunday, Kishan had played a delightful knock against the West Indies on day four of the second Test. 
Speaking after the day's play on Sunday, Kishan thanked Pant and revealed that the two had a chat at the NCA as the former was preparing for the series against West Indies.

"I was at NCA before coming here. I was practising there and Rishabh was also there for his rehab. He just got a few points for me. He asked me to you know, the bat position and everything because he had seen me playing with him. We have played together so many matches. We have been together since U-19. 

“So he knows how I play, what my mindset is. So you just help me a little bit with my bat position and everything, so otherwise I think I also wanted someone to tell me a few things about my batting and it was a great time for him to come and chat with me and really thankful for that," said Kishan.

On the fourth day, the West Indies team started in a promising position at 229 for 5. But they lost the last five wickets for just 26 runs. 
India, with a lead of 183, then set West Indies a challenging victory target of 365.

In response, West Indies ended the day at 76 for 2, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Jermaine Blackwood at the crease. They will resume on the final day needing another 289 runs for victory. 

However, weather could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the match on Monday as there is an 80 per cent chance of rain during the daytime, as per reports.