Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden’s important advice to Rishabh Pant to score runs at the MCG
Rishabh Pant has struggled to find his form in the ongoing three Test matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.
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Rishabh Pant (Via X)
Rishabh Pant has been a match-winner in Test cricket since the time he made his debut for Team India in Test cricket. He has been one of the most dependable batters for India in this format. Pant has become one of the all-time great wicketkeeper-batsmen for India in Test cricket in his short career.
However, the wicketkeeper-batsman has not been at his best in the three matches that have been played in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. Pant has scored 96 runs from five innings at an average of 19.20 so far. Ahead of the fourth Test match of the series starting on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar has offered advice to Pant to get back to form.
Gavaskar wants Pant to respect the bowlers when he is new at the crease and take down them when he is set. Australians have troubled him with the ball that jags away from the middle stump line off the good length while bowling from over the wicket to him.
What Rishabh Pant has to do, like everybody else, respect the first half an hour; respect a little bit when he gets in there, whatever the position, unless, of course, India is 525 for 3; then he can tee off. They get the ball to angle across. Pat Cummins and even (Josh) Hazlewood give him a little bit of a problem; Scott Boland will give him a little bit of a problem because Boland bowls around that area as well.
Sunil Gavaskar said to Star Sports
Pant has been looking to take down the bowlers with unorthodox shots right from the time he has been on the crease in this series. However, rarely has he got a platform set for him in this series, and in most cases, he has had to face the new ball when he is new to the crease.
Matthew Hayden wants Rishabh Pant to play the counterattacking game
Matthew Hayden, the former Australian opener, said that he has always been a fan of Pant and his way of batting. However, he wants Pant to come to bat in a situation when there has already been a platform made for him with the runs on the board.
Hayden feels that Pant has not shown his flamboyance so far in this series and should not hesitate to display his counter-attacking shots even in these conditions in the ongoing series.
I have always been a fan of his. He’s kind of a different cheese; there is no doubt about it. And I would like to just see him explore that as well because he should be coming in a situation where, as I mentioned before, there are lots of runs; and if so, that’s a perfect scenario for him to be (in). But it’s also the perfect scenario for Team India. A little bit like Rohit Sharma, I think we haven’t seen some counter-punching efforts from Rishabh, but he should have no fear in these conditions. I think in the absence of fear comes a great opportunity for Rishabh and Team India.
Matthew Hayden said to Star Sports
India needs runs from Pant if they need to win the series and also qualify for the WTC final. The Indian batting lineup has struggled in the first innings of the Test match, and they do need to score good runs in the first innings at the MCG if they want to go 2-1 up in the series.
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Rohit Sarkar
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