"Fans were sitting in the hot Sun and supporting us" - Rishabh Pant lauds wonderful initiative during IND vs ENG 2025 2nd ODI

Rishabh Pant praised the organizers at the Barabati Stadium for taking measures to give some relief to fans from the heat during the second ODI fixture between India and England on Sunday, February 9. During the first innings of the match, someone from the ground staff was seen using a water spray to cool down the crowd in the afternoon.

Reacting to the same, Pant appreciated the steps taken by the stadium for the spectators. Pointing out that the fans sat in the hot sun to cheer for the Indian team, the Men in Blue wicketkeeper-batter wrote on the microblogging platform X:

"I was very happy seeing that they were spraying mist all around fans . during day time cause fans were sitting in the hot Sun and supporting us. It was great idea good work."

It is worth mentioning that fans flocked to the Barabati Stadium in large numbers on Sunday as ODI cricket returned to the venue for the first time since December 2019. With the temperatures soaring 34 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, the ground staff did their best to ensure the heat didn't play spoilsport in the spectators' excitement.

England won the toss and chose to bat first. The visitors were bowled out for 304, with Joe Root (69) and Ben Duckett (65) being their top performers. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers, registering figures of 10-1-35-3.

India skipper Rohit Sharma stole the show with his batting exploits in the run chase, ending a 487-day century drought. He notched up his 32nd ton in the format, scoring 119 runs off 90 balls. Opener Shubman Gill also chipped in with an important 60-run knock.

The hosts clinched a four-wicket victory, chasing down the target in 44.3 overs. India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with one match to go.

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"You might just want to continue your trust in him" - Sanjay Bangar feels India should continue backing KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant in IND vs ENG 2025 3rd ODI

Rishabh Pant didn't find a place in the Indian playing XI for the first two matches of the series. The team management gave the nod to KL Rahul for the wicketkeeper-batter's spot.

Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar believes that Rahul should retain his place in the side for the third ODI. He highlighted how the right-handed batter hasn't had enough chance to prove himself with the bat so far in the rubber.

Speaking to Jio Cinema, Bangar stated (via India Today):

"I don't think Yashasvi Jaiswal needs to play. If there's merit, you can play Arshdeep Singh, you can try Rishabh Pant. But, there's only one match left. KL Rahul has not had that many chances to play for long. Whenever he comes on to bat, there are only a few runs left. But his keeping has been good so you might just want to continue your trust in him."

The third ODI between India and England will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 12.