In recent times, Rishabh Pant has come to be known for his audacious and aggressive playstyle. How can anybody forget the daring reverse scoops he played against English pacers James Anderson and Jofra Archer, something that made them look like club bowlers.
His gameplay is aptly characterized by the famous proverb ‘Live by the sword, die by it’. However, in the recent World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, the latter took prominence.
In the first innings, Pant displayed uncharacteristic patience and determination to make it through the tough period of bowling from the Kiwi pacers. The moment he struck a boundary, however, he got carried away and fell while chasing a harmless delivery from Kyle Jamieson.
And we have a winner!
Rishabh Pant’s powerful drive off Neil Wagner has been voted as the @Nissan #POTD from Day 6 of #WTC21 💥
Watch it again 📽️ pic.twitter.com/QFIvNgxYQS
— ICC (@ICC) June 24, 2021
The second innings saw Pant make a bigger mistake. Having spent time at the crease for his hard-fought 41, Pant decided to rush down the track and swing wildly at a length delivery from Kiwi pacer Trent Boult. This brought about his downfall as he got a top-edge, with Henry Nicholls taking a stunning catch in the process.
Following the terrible dismissal, India slumped to a meagre total and ended up losing the WTC Final. Former Indian great, Sunil Gavaskar, has criticized the 23-year-old wicket-keeper batsman for his stroke-making. He stated that Rishabh Pant had crossed the fine line between carefree and careless.
“There is a thin line between carefree and careless. Pant has at times breached the line of carefree and careless. A couple of times he went for a big hit when he was in the 90s and missed an opportunity to score a hundred. The only issue with Pant is always going to be his shot selection; otherwise, he has a got the defence, got all the shots and technique,” he asserted.
The single biggest reason India conquered The Gabba was the same fearless approach by Rishabh Pant. Yet some fans are back to criticising it.
Facts don’t change according to our convenience, neither does a player’s style.
Pant is very special. Let him be, it will pay off.
— Sritama Panda (@cricketpun_duh) June 24, 2021
Rishabh Pant will look to make amends during England series
Rishabh Pant will have a chance to make amends in the upcoming 5-match Test series against England. Team India will likely take a break from the bio-bubble, before coming back to play the first Test against England on August 4.
The BCCI is currently talking to the ECB to arrange a few warm-up games leading to the all-important Test series which will be a part of the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.
