Former Indian all-rounder Madan Lal was furious with Rishabh Pant’s batting performance in Johannesburg’s second innings against South Africa and believes the youngster should be given a rest in Cape Town’s third inning.
Pant aggressive approach has won India’s many matches, which includes twin victories in Australia last January – in Sydney and in Brisbane with his fourth-innings heroics. But the same approach saw him getting dismissed for a duck in the second innings when he looked to go over the top.
The dismissal has drawn a lot of criticism with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar slamming him for his needless shot. Madan too joined the debate opining that although he is a “match-winning player”, Pant needs to understand that he is batting for the team and not for himself. He even suggested that the team management should rather give him a break and bring in Wriddhiman Saha for the Cape Town Test.
“He deserves a break. You have guys like Wriddhiman Saha. He’s a sensible batsman. He’s a really good goalkeeper. But Pant has to decide how he wants to bat in Test cricket. If he has any doubts in his mind, it’s better to let him rest. He’s a player who can win games, but you can’t hit the ball like that. You have to fight for the team and not for yourself,” he said on Aaj Tak.
Answering an ANI query on Thursday, after India’s seven-wicket defeat in Johannesburg, head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that there is a need for a conversation with Pant regarding the shot selection.
“In a sense, we know Rishabh is a positive player and he plays in a special way that makes him successful. But, of course, sometimes, we have a level of dialogue with him. , it’s just about timing that shot, you know. No one’s going to tell Rishabh not to be an aggressive or aggressive player. Sometimes it’s about timing to do it,” Dravid said.
“When you first come in, it will be wiser to give yourself more time. We know what we have achieved with Rishabh. He is a very active player. He is a person who can change the course of the game for us. So we Won’t take this away from him and ask him to be different. It’s about determining when is the right time to attack. He is learning, he plays in a certain way, but he will continue to learn,” he added.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
