In a bizarre incident from the Cape Town Test, India’s Rishabh Pant tried to slice a ball to the deep point in the 60th over of the second innings, and the bat flew completely in the opposite direction as he attempted for the shot. After the incident, Pant took the willow in his hands and kissed it.

India resumed Day 3 of the third and final Test on 57/2 and faced early blows as they lost Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane very early in the first session of the third day’s play. However, Virat Kohli, who scored a brilliant half-century in the first innings of the series decider stitched up a 94-run stand along with Rishabh Pant before the former fell to Lungi Ngidi in the 49th over.

Pant, who had a poor outing in the Johannesburg Test, scored an exuberant half-century before lunch on Day 3 in the ongoing Cape Town Test. During the 60th over, the left-hand batsman attempted to play a shot to the deep point, but his bat slipped from his hands and flew to the square leg area. The India wicket-keeper batsman soon took the bat in his hands and kissed it. 

The 24-year-old continued his aggressive batting against the South Africa bowlers and registered his fourth Test century off 133 balls. Pant struck six boundaries and four maximum to reach the three-figure mark against South Africa in the second innings of the Cape Town Test.