Rishabh Pant during his sensational 146 at Edgbaston (Image Courtesy: Getty Images)
Rishabh Pant and Test cricket look like a match made in heaven. Not long ago, the 24-year-old struggled in the white-ball format against South Africa. But as soon as he put his India whites on, he transformed into the Pant we all know – fearless and outrageously skillful.
India had absolutely no business reaching 338/7 after they were 98/5 at one stage on Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test. However, Rishabh Pant launched an incredible counter-attack that took the England bowlers by surprise.
But this is often a two-edged sword, as the shots that give him runs also sometimes lead to his downfall. However, the ploy that he has employed since that heroic 97 at Sydney last year has given Pant clarity that this is perhaps the way to go ahead for him in Test cricket.
On that note, here’s an analysis of why this approach sometimes comes to bite back at him:
Makes Rishabh Pant look foolish if it doesn’t come off
There have been a number of instances where Rishabh Pant’s shot selection has been questioned by many of the game’s greats. One such occasion was during the Test series against South Africa earlier this year.
Pant charged down the track to thump Kagiso Rabada on just the third ball he faced and edged one behind. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar rebuffed the theory that this was his natural game as ‘absolute nonsense’.
Another instance was during the World Test Championship final last year, where Rishabh Pant stepped out to Trent Boult on a seaming wicket and tried to send the ball into orbit. But he could only sky it to point, paving the way for India’s collapse.
However, the 24-year-old has now perhaps found the right balance of mixing a bit of caution with his natural aggression and the results are there for everyone to see. He became the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to 2000 Test runs on Friday, taking just 52 innings to achieve the feat.
Here are thus two reasons why his natural game will help him become a Test great:
#1 Disturbs the rhythm of the bowlers
Probably one of the most basic theories in Test cricket is that a bowler needs to be accurate and consistent in his line and length to be successful. Batters do come under pressure if the bowlers are able to string together a few dots or even maiden overs.
This is where Rishabh Pant’s approach comes in handy. He takes 5-10 balls of late to get his eye in. But he also ensures that he makes the bowlers, especially spinners, alter their lengths so that they are unable to bowl where they want to.
Pant’s audacious reverse sweep to James Anderson also has a theory behind it as he doesn’t want the veteran pacer to do what he is known for – consistent swing bowling.
#2 Gets himself through those initial nervous stages
Any great batter in the game, especially in Test cricket, will tell you how important it is to get off the mark and get through the initial stages of a spell when the bowlers have their tails up.
While conventional batters during such times think that perhaps the non-striker’s end is the best place to be, Rishabh Pant believes in counter-attacking his way out of a situation.
Whenever he is new to the crease or is in a pressure situation, he backs himself to hit a couple of big shots that either deflates the bowler’s morale or forces the opposition captain to spread the field and remove the close-in fielders.
No matter what he achieves in white-ball cricket, Rishabh Pant is definitely on the road to greatness in the longest format because of his dynamic approach.
