Admiring Pujara wants more from impactful Pant
The ‘keeper-batsman’s breathtaking counter-attack promised much more until he fell on the verge of a century in the Chennai Test.
Rishabh Pant’s development as an international cricketer of immense potential has gathered pace in the last two months. The third day in the opening Test between India and England provided a good assessment of what stage the keeper-batsman’s career is at the moment.
Sunday’s play started for Pant with an easy stumping miss off R Ashwin, and the reaction of the bowler, holding his head in his hands, said it all, that his keeping skills need a lot of polishing. The Indian innings was in a shambles at 73 for four when he came out to bat, and he was the toast of the dressing room with his bold counter-attack.
England’s bowling attack which had prised out the top-order with ease made no impression on the left-handed batsman. But to his captain's exasperation, on the brink of a blazing hundred, he gifted his wicket to show there’s still a missing link in his batting before we can call him a finished article to be rated as a specialist batsman.
To blast a less than run-a-ball 91 with the top-order wiped out, any team would be proud of Rishabh Pant’s effort. He has done it now in three straight Tests, carrying on from the 97 at Sydney and unbeaten 89 at Brisbane, which sealed a great series triumph.
“Setting all things aside, Rishabh Pant got 91 today. Following up on scores of 89 not out, 23 and 97 before this. 89* being a great Test match innings. So that’s thumbs up to Rishabh Pant the batsman,” tweeted Sanjay Manjrekar. In the morning his ’keeping had evoked an opposite reaction from the former India batsman. “Everyone misses stumping, even great keepers do but the way Pant missed that stumping of Leach off Ashwin tells me all I need to know about Pant the keeper,” he tweeted.
Pant’s batting fits with the kind of player Virat Kohli wants in his team. “When the selectors ask us for the kind of players we are looking at, I tell them: Impact players, who make runs when the chips are down, not on flat wickets,” Kohli says in an interview to the official broadcaster.
In Australia, he helped save one Test and win the next. At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Pant took the game to the England bowlers who were on top when he joined forces with Cheteshwar Pujara. The two have developed a good understanding, their contrasting styles working well. It was again seen in their fifth wicket stand of 119 runs.
Pant thrives under pressure with his approach of batting freely. Throughout Sunday’s innings, the strike rate never dipped below 100. He didn’t spare any loose delivery and was particularly severe on Jack Leach. Pant smashed five sixes off the left-arm spinner. There was a method to the aggression. Leach was trying to exploit the rough outside his off-stump. It meant the ball would kick up if played from the crease. The pick of his shots off the pacers were against James Anderson, a square cut followed by a back-foot punch through covers post tea.
In terms of pure skill, against a world class bowling attack enjoying the cushion of a massive total, it was an outstanding effort. Having Pujara at the other end helps Pant; he is constantly reminded what shots he must avoid. Unfortunately, Pujara got out to a freak dismissal at the total of 192 and 34 runs later, Pant holed out off-spinner Dom Bess to deep cover.
Pant’s tactics until then had been to go after Leach while showing discretion in his shots against the off-spinner. He deviated from it. It was wrong shot selection. Given the stage of the match—India trailed by 353 runs when he fell at the total of 225—the team needed him to try and help avert the follow-on. Also, it’s the fourth time he has got out in the 90s.
Pujara, who has had a good partnership with Pant in three Tests in a row, advised Pant to be selective in his strokes.
“That is his natural game, can’t restrict it much because if he gets too much defensive he can get out then also. It is good he plays his shots. But at times he has to be very selective what shots to play and what not to, in what situation he can take the risk and where he has to realise that he has to stay at the crease. The more he plays, the more he will learn.
“It is not that quick runs are always needed. At times you have to stay at the crease. At the same time, when he is at the crease, the scoreboard keeps moving. It is not like he will stay there (and he) will become very defensive. Balancing things out is the most important thing for him. I love batting with him; I try and be of help to him and speak to him at times on what shots he can play and what shots he can avoid at times.”
India’s best phase on Day 3 was when Pant and Pujara batted together. Hailed for his defensive batting in Australia, Pujara was fluent, hitting 11 fours in his 143-ball 73. “It becomes easy for me when he starts playing the shots. The bowler comes under pressure. From the other end, when I get strike, I keep playing my game. When a good partnership happens, the pressure gets to the opposition.”
