IND vs ENG Test: ‘Desh and nothing else’ – Suniel Shetty opens up about his son-in-legislation KL Rahul’s obsession with the game | Cricket News – Times of India

India’s KL Rahul bats on day 4 of the first cricket check match between England and India at Headingley in Leeds, England, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Suniel Shetty showered reward on his son-in-legislation and revealed his obsession with the game, in addition to what it means to him to play for the nation. The Test was curiously poised on Monday, with India setting the hosts a tough 371-run goal for victory. Ben Stokes’ facet started the chase expertly on day 4, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett erasing 21 runs from the complete. Suniel Shetty mentioned: “He says, ‘Dad, I am playing for the country. So it doesn’t matter what position I’m playing in. I want to play for the country.’”“And when you are obsessed with that, I don’t think any position matters. Then it’s about being mentally very, very strong. Emotionally clear. Desh and nothing else.”

Rahul scored 137 whereas Pant smashed 118, as the duo stitched collectively a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket to bail India out on the fourth day of the Headingley Test.“Today was a tricky wicket. Tomorrow it might break even more. We’ll give ourselves the best chance to pick up the 10 wickets,” Rahul mentioned throughout the publish-stumps press convention. He, nevertheless, conceded {that a} rating of round 400 would have positioned India in a a lot stronger place.“At tea, there was a little bit of discussion on how much we need, or whether to give them (England) a few overs to bat and pick up a few wickets. Ideally, we would have wanted about 40 runs more,” mentioned Rahul. India misplaced three decrease-order batters for naught, whereas Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur too might solely handle a handful of runs, as the guests slumped from 333/5 to 364 all out. Rahul added that he was in awe of Pant’s batting and was simply admiring his audacious strokeplay standing at the different finish.“You just stand there and admire and sometimes scratch your head about the shots that he plays. He has his unique style of play. He enjoys his game. He has a style that none of us will understand in this room. Just let him be Rishabh Pant,” mentioned Rahul of Pant, who, regardless of enjoying conservatively, managed 118 off simply 140 balls.