Rishabh Pant has been in great form in the ongoing Test series in England, with him slamming a twin ton in the first Test at Leeds and following it up with a quickfire half-century in India's second innings at Edgbaston, helping the visitors set up a massive 608-run target for England. India eventually won the Test by 336 runs. Pant made a comeback to the Indian team in September 2024 after nearly two years of rehabilitation following a fatal car accident. And he has not lost the magic touch as he remains a vital cog of the Indian team.

While his exploits with the bat made most of the noise in England, his famous antics behind the stumps remain a permanent companion of Indian Test cricket. His talkative presence - often caught on the stump mic - makes the experience of watching Test cricket special and intriguing. His witty remarks on batters and uncanny way of passing advice to the bowlers often result in dismissals. But it also results in banter and arguments with the batters.

Since Indians are not really known for sledging and excessive talking - especially as it became a rare feature during the era of MS Dhoni - this remains a popular question: why and how India vice-captain Pant picked up this habit.

Ahead of the Lord's Test, Pant laid bare the secret behind his chirping behind the stumps. He credited his childhood coach Tarak Sinha for imparting this skill to him. "My coach, late Tarak Sinha, taught me to keep talking to yourself. That’s what I have been doing since childhood; it helps me a lot," Pant told reporters ahead of the third Test starting Thursday.

Pant also shared his insights into the Indian playing XI for the third Test, with Jasprit Bumrah's return to the XI almost a certainty. At Edgbaston, Akash Deep had replaced Bumrah and became only the second Indian bowler to pick up 10 wickets in a Test as India registered their biggest win overseas.

Pant also ushered praise on young captain Shubman Gill, who has taken over the reins from Rohit Sharma and is leading the team with sheer command. "When you have good camaraderie off the field, communication is better on the ground," said Pant. "Jasprit Bumrah was not playing but Siraj and Akash Deep stood up," he added.