Rishabh Pant’s mode of dismissal in the first innings in Melbourne, which left Sunil Gavaskar infuriated and struggling to control his outburst while commentating, seemed to have taught him a lesson during India’s second essay.
In the second session of the Test on Monday, Pant, along with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, had done the right thing to grind the Australian attack, giving India a fair chance of going to the final Test in Sydney with a 1-1 scoreline.
Arriving at the crease with India tottering at 33/3 after Australia had set them a formidable target of 340, Pant wasn’t Pant-like from the onset. Being un-Pant largely during his 131-minute stay at the crease with only two boundaries, the keeper-batter suddenly tried to launch Travis Head and perished at the wide long-on region.
Was that shot at all necessary at that stage? Particularly, when India looked well in control at 121/3 with the Pant-Jaiswal pair untroubled by the Australian bowlers. Pant could have played that shot squarer, which would then fetch him at least a couple if not a boundary.
Instead, giving his wicket away to part-timer Head opened the floodgates as India lost seven wickets for just 34 in that final session. If not for that small opening, together with the Melbourne pitch not having any demons even on Day V, Australia would have had a harder time to force a result.
Ahead of the Sydney Test beginning on Friday, the team management may have a word or two with Pant about his shot selection.
“Pant seemed to be in two minds, whether to defend that ball or play a stroke. That cost him his wicket,” a former national selector pointed out.
“An element of risk is there in any case if you try to play any shot. But then, there’s no point in blaming Pant alone. What are the other big names in the batting line-up doing? You needed to set the tone
in the run chase, something they couldn’t.”
Skipper Rohit Sharma believes it’s for Pant to figure out the right approach. “More than any one of us telling him, it’s about him understanding and figuring out what’s the right way to go about,” Rohit said at the post-match news conference on Monday.
“As captain, it’s hard to have a conversation when it (Pant’s current approach) has given him a lot of success. But it’s about him figuring out what is the right way to do things, while it’s about situations as well. In certain
situations of the game, if there’s a risk percentage, do you want to take that risk? Do you want to let the opposition come back into the game? Those are the things he needs to figure out himself.
“I’ve known Rishabh for a long time and understand his cricket as well. In terms of conversations, no way can I say I’ve not had a chat with him or he doesn’t understand what the team expects. But things that he does give him results too, so it’s just the fine line between telling him not to do those things or telling him to do those,” Rohit explained.
Maybe the captain is right in his analysis, but it would do Pant no harm if he introspects a little. There’s no doubt about his talent, after all.
