Rishabh Pant Is Looking The Big Concern To Me: Aakash Chopra

Aug 29, 2021 at 1:17 PM

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Rishabh Pant Is Looking The Big Concern To Me: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra believes Rishabh Pant’s indifferent form and the manner in which he has approached his innings is a huge concern for Team India.

Rishabh Pant has scored just 87 runs at an underwhelming average of 17.4 in the three Tests against England so far. He has also repeatedly fallen prey to length deliveries angled across him.

Rishabh Pant. File | Photo Credit: AFP
Rishabh Pant. File | Photo Credit: AFP

Aakash Chopra: Keeper Rishabh Pant Is Looking The Biggest Concern In India’s Batting Lineup

While reflecting on the problem areas for Team India in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra named Rishabh Pant as the biggest worrying factor.

“Rishabh Pant is looking the big concern to me. The way he is batting, you are playing five bowlers because you know you have Rishabh Pant, who is a fabulous batsman, and that is why you are not playing Wriddhiman Saha.”

Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The former India opener added that Rishabh Pant’s approach to his innings is also an area of concern.

Aakash Chopra elaborated: “But if he doesn’t score runs, it will be a problem. There will be a problem with his way of playing. Your team is stuck, and you are stepping out and playing. My way or the highway works, but I think that is an area of concern.”

Rishabh Pant has tended to dance down the wicket to counter the swing the England bowlers have generated. But that has not yielded many dividends, as he has mostly wafted at deliveries outside the off-stump and getting caught behind the wickets.

Aakash Chopra feels the lack of runs from Rishabh Pant’s willow might see Ravindra Jadeja walk ahead of him in the batting order. He observed in this regard spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has looked more comfortable at the crease than Rishabh Pant.

“In the next match, India might start thinking to promote Jadeja and demote Rishabh because the five-bowler theory looks good to hear, but it means Pant after Ajinkya, then Jadeja and four proper bowlers. It’s not a great thing.”

Ravindra Jadeja Photo Credit: (Sky Sports)
Ravindra Jadeja Photo Credit: (Sky Sports)

The reputed commentator also observed how pacer Ollie Robinson has had the wood on Rishabh Pant so far.

“You expect from him, and you only throw stones at a tree that bears fruit. You look towards an X-factor and ask him to score runs. Rishabh Pant will have to really change his tack very quickly. He is a class player, but till now, his number is in Ollie Robinson’s pocket.”

Four of Rishabh Pant’s five dismissals in the series have come against Ollie Robinson. The dashing wicketkeeper-batsman fell to Mark Wood in the first innings of the Lord’s Test, which India won.

Earlier in late 2020 and early 2021, Rishabh Pant continued his love affair with Australia on India’s last tour. With the team battling multiple adversities and injuries, he scored 97 runs off 118 balls in the third Test and an unbeaten 89 in the fourth Test in Brisbane and was adjudged Man of the match, as India won the match and series.

Rishabh Pant was picked in the playing XI again ahead of Wriddhiman Saha for the home Test series against England. In the four Tests, he scored 270 runs at an average of 54.00, including one century and two fifties. He batted at a strike rate of 84.11 in the four-match series, which India won comprehensively 3-1.

The contenders for a place in the Playing 11 for the 4th Test are Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have played all three Test matches and maybe rested or rotated. The other one who could sit out is Ishant Sharma. Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna may replace them.

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