Melbourne [Australia], December 28: Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has criticized Rishabh Pant’s “terrible shot selection” following his dismissal on Day Three of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Pant, who was dismissed for 28 runs off 37 balls by Australia pacer Scott Boland, attempted a scoop shot to a full-length delivery. The ball, however, took a top edge and flew to third man, where Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon took an easy catch. During his brief stay at the crease, Pant struck three fours at a strike rate of 75.68.
Speaking on Star Sports during the lunch break, Gavaskar noted that while there was some bad luck involved, the shot selection was questionable. “Earlier, when there were no fielders around, attempting such shots was understandable as it’s a calculated risk. But with two fielders at deep square-leg and deep point, playing that shot was a terrible decision,” Gavaskar said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
He also pointed out that Pant seems to rely on unconventional methods to score runs, even when orthodox shots may be more effective. “It looks like he believes that if he can’t score runs the orthodox way, his only option is to go down the pitch and hit big shots. At the Test level, that approach doesn’t always work. If that’s the case, he may need to rethink his position in the batting order,” he added, suggesting Pant should bat lower down if this trend continues.
At the close of play on Day Three, India was 358/9, trailing Australia by 116 runs. Nitish (105*) and Mohammed Siraj (2*) were unbeaten at the crease.