India captain Rohit Sharma was unimpressed by Rishabh Pant’s reckless dismissals in the Boxing Day Test. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rohit took a dig at Pant after he was asked about the latter’s dismissal on Day 5 of the the Test, which India lost by 184 runs.
AUS vs IND, 4th Test: Full Scorecard
Asked if Rishabh Pant’s reckless shot in the final session put India in trouble in Melbourne, Rohit Sharma cheekily asked the journalist if he was referring to the dismissal in the first or the second innings of the game. Rohit did not mince any words while questioning Rishabh’s shot selection in both innings of the Boxing Day game.
Pant copped a lot of criticism for his dismissals in either innings. But his wicket in the second innings turned out to be a telling blow for the Indian team as it triggered a collapse on the final day of the Test match. With India chasing 340 runs for the win, Pant was the 4th wicket to fall.
Rishabh Pant’s wicket came right after the Tea break when the left-hander tried to unnecessarily take on Travis Head, Australia’s part-time bowler. At the time, Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal had nearly added 100 runs between themselves, helping India recover from a top-order collapse (33/3). Head tempted Pant into an aerial pull shot towards long-on, where Mitchell Marsh safely took the catch. This wicket set the stage for a dramatic collapse and India were bowled out for just 155 runs after that.
It was frustrating as India recovered from 33 for 3 and added 79 runs in the second session without losing a wicket. Pant and Yashasvi showcased incredible discipline and composure, but the wicketkeeper-batter threw it away after the Tea break.
“Today right, or are you talking about the first innings?” Rohit Sharma gave a cheeky response to the journalist who questioned Rishabh Pant’s pattern of dismissals.
The India captain added that the team gets frustrated when the left-hander gets out playing a rash shot in pressure situations. However, Rohit chose to not throw Rishabh under the bus, stating that Pant had his own game plans but needed to recognise the value of his wickets in crunch situations.
“It just happened. There hasn’t been any discussion about it today. Obviously, you know we lost the game. Everybody is disappointed about how things actually planned out. We certainly didn’t think of this result. Rishabh Pant obviously needs to understand what is required from him more than any one of us telling him. It’s about him understanding and figuring out what is the right way to go about it. In the past, he’s given us a lot of success doing what he does. So as a captain, there is a kind of mixed reaction to that. Sometimes you want to back that thought of him playing the way he plays, and sometimes when things don’t look good, it frustrates everyone,” Rohit Sharma said.
“That’s the reality, it’s the success and the failure. There is there needs to be a balance about it. As a captain, it’s very hard to have a conversation. It has given him a lot of success as well, but it’s about him figuring out, you know, what is the right way to do things. It’s just about the situation as well. Certain situations of the game where, if there is 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,” the India captain explained.
IND vs AUS, 4th Test: Match Report
“See, I know Rishabh for a very long time, and I understand his cricket as well. In the past also we’ve had a lot of conversations. There’s no way I can say that I’ve not had a chat with him or that he doesn’t understand what the team expects. He understands that, but the things that he does gives him results as well. So, it’s just that fine line between telling him not to do those things or telling him to do those things,” concluded the skipper.
STUPID: GAVASKAR SLAMS PANT
Earlier in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test match, Pant’s dismissal had angered legendary Sunil Gavaskar. The legendary player had slammed Pant for his reckless dismissal on Day 3. While commentating for the host broadcaster, Gavaskar called Pant stupid after the keeper-batter was dismissed for just 28 runs in India’s first innings.
With India in dire straits, Pant’s decision to play an unorthodox scoop shot off Scott Boland’s bowling left many fans and experts questioning his temperament and approach in high-pressure situations. Gavaskar hit out at Pant and used some harsh words for the batter after his dismissal.
Pant had looked jittery from the very start of his innings on Day 3. He nearly got caught twice at the slip cordon in the first hour of play and then survived 2 run-out attempts due to on-field mix-ups with Ravindra Jadeja. After settling down his nerves near the hour mark, Pant decided to scoop Scott Boland’s full-length delivery behind the keeper. The batter did not get the ideal connection and was caught at deep third man after top-edging the ball.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid! You have two fielders there, you still go for that shot. You have missed the previous shot and look where you have been caught. You have been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was in. You have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that that’s your natural game. I’m sorry that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot that is letting your team down badly,” Sunil Gavaskar fumed while commentating on the match.
“He should not be going in that dressing room. He should be going to the other dressing room,” he had added.
