Team India head coach, Ravi Shastri has defended the inclusion of Rishabh Pant in the squad for the upcoming Test series against England.
Rishabh Pant earned his maiden call-up to the Indian team for the five-match Test series riding on impressive knocks for India A during the recently concluded tour of the UK.
Before that, Pant had enjoyed a stunning outing in the Indian Premier League. While his, Delhi Daredevils finished at the bottom of the points table, the young wicketkeeper-batsman looked in red-hot form throughout the season.
Rishabh Pant ended as the second highest run-getter in the tournament with 684 runs from 14 games. It included five fifties and one century. Also, his exploits helped him win being named the Emerging Player of IPL 11.
But despite his recent exploits, many believe that Pant is still not ready for Test cricket. And they feel picking him up for the tough series against England is a bold call.
However, Ravi Shastri holds a different opinion on this. The coach backed the decision by citing Pant’s recent impressive performances. He also mentioned the need of grooming another keeper.
“Why was it bold? He was getting runs for India A. He is young. It is also time to groom another keeper. He has the flair. He has something unorthodox about him when it comes to his batting. He can be a game changer, so why not give him the opportunity?” he told ESPNcricinfo.
The five-match Test series will get underway on August 1, as India would be looking to win their first series in England since 2007.
When asked what is the brand of cricket India need to play to be competitive and win the series, Ravi Shastri said,
“Fearless cricket. Trust your instincts. Play your natural game. Results will happen. We will have some fun. We are aggressive. We play to win. Even this series we are playing to win. We are not here to draw games or fill in the numbers. We play every game to win and take the game forward. And if in trying to win we lose a game, tough luck. As long as we win more than we lose, we are happy.”