Kohli, Shastri want Rishabh Pant to play ‘sensible cricket’
The world expects a lot from Rishabh Pant, and rightly so. The 21-year old Delhi batsman has performed feats unimaginable at this tender age. Pant owns the record of fastest Ranji Trophy hundred, he smashed 128 in an IPL game once. In Test cricket, he has already celebrated centuries in Australia and England. Still, there’s something missing. Indian captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri have asked Pant to work on his match awareness.
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In an interview to Star Sports, India’s head coach spoke about Pant’s first-ball dismissal against West Indies in the 3rd ODI. India were chasing 241 and were placed 91/2 in the 13th over when Pant walked out to bat. He charged down the track on the first ball he faced and got caught at mid-off. Kohli standing at the other end was unimpressed.
“When you see a shot like the one in Trinidad, off the first ball, (it’s disappointing),” Shastri said. “He tries to repeat it a couple of times and gets out, he will be told. There will be a rap on the knuckles there – talent or no talent – because you are letting the team down, forget letting yourself down. You are letting the team down in a situation where you have the captain at the other end. You have a target to chase where the need of the hour is some sensible cricket,” the re-appointed coach added.
“No one will change his style but match awareness becomes crucial, shot selection becomes crucial in particular situations. If he can fathom that out, he could be unstoppable…it’s time now for him to step on to the stage and just show the world how devastating he is, ” Shastri hoped.
Captain’s expectations
Indian captain reinforced his coach’s opinion. He praised Pant for his innate talent. At the same time, he expected the wicketkeeper-batsman to bat according to the match situation.
“Expectations are only of reading situations. You don’t expect a guy to play according to what you might be thinking. It’s about analysing the situation and finding your own way of dealing with the situation.
Someone like Rishabh might hit five boundaries in a difficult situation compared to me who likes to take ones and twos and get out of it. So everyone has their own game. But reading the situation and decision-making is the expectation from all the players, including myself,” Kohli said on Pant.
The Indian team will be looking forward to the 2020 T20 World Cup. Pant with his devastating batting and wicketkeeping skills will be an integral part of the campaign. However, the youngster cannot take his place for granted. He will need to bat with better temperament and match awareness if he’s to make a lasting impact.
