Chennai: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his century, pointing out that the left-hander has got a fine defensive technique like legendary former skipper MS Dhoni.
Centuries from Gill and Rishabh Pant helped India set a massive 515 run target in the first Test at Chennai. The two future batting stars for India took Bangladeshi bowling apart with some ruthless hitting, continuing their fine form in the long format.
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said, “It is a misleading package we see with Rishabh Pant. Underneath that, you will see as many dot balls in his innings at Shubman Gill’s so he is willing to also play the defensive game that we have seen many times in the past. He has got a pretty good defensive technique, bit like Dhoni, whose defensive technique was quite good. People talk about the leadership and the big-hitting power that Dhoni had, but his defensive technique was pretty good, and the same with Rishabh Pant as well.”
Manjrekar said that Pant was not taking too many chances against off-spinners and he is a player with his “own way of getting runs and his own agenda” like the legendary opener Virender Sehwag.
“We have seen these phases but it’s about Pant playing as per the situation, sometimes dependent on his mood but also very careful about choosing the right kind of bowlers. As long as there were off-spinners bowling, he was not taking too many chances. So he is that kind of player who has his own way of getting runs and has his own agenda – a bit like Virender Sehwag. When India goes to Australia, that is when they truly need him,” he added.