Talkative Pant delivers with both actions and words

CRICKET: Enigmatic Indian keeper Rishabh Pant could become a summer cult hero on the back of not just his swashbuckling batting but also his vocal work behind the stumps.

New broadcasters Fox Cricket pledged innovation when they took over the rights, and used day five for an on-field experiment.

The commentators went quiet for five minutes during the opening session, taking all the noise direct from the stumps mikes for a full over from part-time Indian spinner Murali Vijay.

But it was during the 76th over, with Pat Cummins facing Ravi Ashwin and the Aussies a long way from home, that Pant really delivered for them.

“C’mon Patty, not easy to play here man,” Pant said, getting in to the Aussie quick

“C’mon it’s not easy to survive,” he said after Cummins prodded a ball away.

“Not putting away bad balls here,” Pant said after Cummins left one.

Pant has made a huge impact in his first Test in Australia.

The keeper entered the series with a scary reputation for his ability to move the game forward with the bat, having scored his first runs in Test cricket with a six in England earlier this year.

Pant (pictured) also equalled England’s Jack Russell and South African megastar AB de Villiers for most wicket keeping dismissals in a Test.

Pant could have broken the record, but dropped Nathan Lyon with a diving attempt to his right off Jasprit Bumrah.