India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was expected to do big things on the tour of Australia, but he has not only failed to do so but also disappointed his fans and former players with his irresponsible approach to batting in situations that demanded him to show that he also has a defensive game up his sleeve. His last chance to correct that on this tour arrives in Sydney, a ground Pant loves batting on.
In seven innings across four Tests of this Border Gavaskar Trophy, Pant has made just 154 runs at an average of 22.00 with a highest score of 37. On top of that, his shot-selection, which included his rush of blood that cost India his wicket and triggered a batting collapse in Melbourne, has received scathing criticism from legends like Sunil Gavaskar.
After adding 88 runs with Yashasvi Jaiswal to take India from 33 for 3 to 121 for 3 while chasing a 340-run target in the Boxing Day Test, Pant fell to part-time spinner Travis Head while going for a needless pull shot to get out for 30. India got bowled out for 155 to lose the match. In his previous innings, too, he was reckless — losing his wicket for 28 while playing an unnecessary ramp shot when the field was set exactly for that.
Travelling to Sydney for the series finale, Pant will hope to continue his high-scoring run at the venue and help India to a much-needed win.
Australia lead the five-match series 2-1 after wins in Adelaide and Melbourne to turn a 0-1 deficit around. India, who began the tour with a win in the opener at Perth, need to make it 2-2 in Sydney to retain the BGT as last edition’s winners. The Aussies need only a draw to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2014.
Pant has happy memories of SCG from his past two tours of Australia.
In the drawn 2019 Test, he scored a magnificent 159 not out. In the 2021 Sydney Test, which also ended as a draw, he played knocks of 36 and 97.
That gives Pant an aggregate of 292 runs in three innings at Sydney, at an average of 146.00.
The pitch in Sydney, which is the closest in nature to Indian strips among the tracks in Australia, could help Pant play his natural game, but as skipper Rohit Sharma said after the match in Melbourne, “it’s about him figuring out what is the right way to go about it”.
