Sunil Gavaskar slams Rishabh Pant for throwing away his wicket carelessly

Team India started Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa on a positive note. Both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara resumed the play and brought up their half-centuries to dominate the first half-hour of the day. The duo batted under immense pressure before Kagiso Rabada chimed in the scenario to send both of them back to the hut in quick succession.

India was reduced to 163-4 when the pair of Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant had the responsibility of taking the lead further. However, when the latter took the charge of the field, he was sledged by Rassie van der Dussen. Pant did not shy away from giving him back and asked the South African player to shut his mouth.

Pant then departed on just the third ball he was facing whilst playing a rash shot. The keeper-batter walked back to the pavilion on a duck. This approach of him to play a big shot so early on in his innings fetched in mixed reactions from the cricketing fraternity.

According to former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, Pant should have respected the bowler and played with responsibility. Often one has witnessed that the keeper-batter has brought his attacking game to the fore to dominate the proceedings. But Gavaskar feels this time around there shouldn’t be any discussions on his natural game as he shouldn’t have tried to hit it big early on.

Absolutely no-nonsense about Rishabh Pant’s natural game about this one: Sunil Gavaskar

“No excuses for that shot. Absolutely no-nonsense about his natural game about this one. There has to be some sense of responsibility. Guys like Rahane have taken the blows. Guys like Pujara have taken it on their body, so you also fight it out,” Gavaskar said on commentary.

Previously for India Shardul Thakur had starred with the ball, picking up seven wickets in South Africa’s first innings. Opening up on it he said, “I was just trying to pitch the ball in the right spot, looking at my bowling there was natural help from the pitch so, I tried a little bit of swing here and there. And rest, I got seven wickets and I am very happy about it. A wonderful performance and happy to have contributed to the team.”