[Watch] Rishabh Pant Does A MS Dhoni; Stuns Mitchell Starc With A Laser Direct Hit

Rishabh Pant leads Starc's run out with sharp direct hit [Source: @pantedits/X.com]

MS Dhoni's successor, Rishabh Pant, showed brilliant fielding to run out Mitchell Starc on Day 4 of the ongoing Boxing Day Test between India and Australia. With a charge for a single, Pant ran in to grab the ball and directly threw a precise hit at the non-striker's end to send Starc walking.

India sensed a turnaround in the Boxing Day Test against Australia when Jasprit Bumrah picked three crucial wickets in short succession. However, Marnus Labuschagne's resistance hurt India. He earned two lifelines as Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped easy catches at silly point. 

However, Siraj had his breakthrough to dismiss Labuschagne for 70 runs. Jasprit Bumrah returned for a spell with the task of wiping off the tail and bowling out Australia as quickly as possible. 

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Rishabh Pant reminds fans of MS Dhoni with sharp direct hit

That being said, in a moment of brilliant awareness and sharp reflexes, Mitchell Starc was run out in a dramatic fashion. Bumrah came in with a sharp-length delivery that Starc pushed behind square on the leg side. 

Trying for a quick single, the batter sprinted for the run, but his batting partner at the other end, Pat Cummins, showed no interest. This put the batter in a situation of confusion, as Starc had already committed himself to the run, but Cummins' hesitation left him stranded in the middle of the pitch.

As the throw came in flat and fast to Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper channeled his inner MS Dhoni and was quick to adjust his position, moving ahead of the stumps to collect the ball. In a split second, Pant took a direct hit at the stumps. Starc, who had already turned back to return to his crease, was unable to make it in time, with Pant's throw hitting the stumps and sending him back to the pavilion. 

He could make only 5 runs from 13 balls at the time he was run out, though he was struggling at the crease. That is when dismissal came as a turning point of the match for him. Pant's alertness behind the stumps played a pivotal role as well, and his direct-hit had shades of MS Dhoni's lightning quick speed.

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