In the third ODI between India and South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday, Rishabh Pant left many of his fans scratching their heads by scoring his highest score in a limited international match in a match. Pant was sacked for the first ball duck and India lost Shikhar Dhawan in a well-crafted half-century.
With the Virat Kohli ending, India could have kept Pant long and formed a partnership, but it was another moment of adrenaline and poor shooting that brought him down as India ended up losing a thriller by four points piece.
Ex-Indian batsman Aakash Chopra and former South African striker Dale Steyn analysed Pant’s shot selection, both expressing surprise at the 23-year-old’s decision to give the first ball to the big hockey team. Chopra didn’t like Pant hitting the shots he made, and said despite his youth, that didn’t give his wicketkeeper bats any excuse to be fired on the international stage.
“Reckless. Irresponsible. Brought the team down. We all know Rishabh is Rishabh. But if you compare this shot to another, I’d say what he did in Johannesburg – he just ran up the court Kagiso Rabada -India have lost wickets. It’s exactly the same thing he did there. And there’s no excuse. From how wow, to how wow, that’s what Rishabh Pant keeps throwing. When he plays well , which is awesome. But you often say… ‘How did you do that?’” Chopra said on Star Sports’ Byju Cricket Live. He’s human – Rahul Dravid, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma will have to have a conversation with him, you have to get better at your shot selection, two things are non-negotiable. Respect the conditions, respect the team situation. If you don’t don’t do that, it’s never good. “
Stein, on the other hand, admits he’s a fan of Pointer because of the excitement he shows when hitting the ball, but at the same time admits that some of his hits are beyond his comprehension.
“I’m actually a huge fan of Rishabh Pant. I love the way he plays. He’s a very exciting cricketer and it pains me as a naysayer. I look at him and pinch myself, ‘You What are you doing. Why should you do it?’ He did it in the Tests. If he had played five more times there, things would have been different,” Stein said.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
