Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has backed Rishabh Pant to play as a specialist batter in the fourth Test match against England. Pant had suffered a blow to his left hand’s index finger while keeping in England’s first innings at Lord’s.
Dhruv Jurel then kept the wickets in his place in the rest of the match and it is expected that Pant could play purely as a batter with former taking the glove duties.
Pant has scored 425 runs in three Test matches against England at an impressive average of 70.83 in the ongoing series and he is going to hold the key while batting at number five.
“Can Rishabh Pant play as a batter? The voice for this argument will become louder now. He has an injury in his hand, and Dhruv Jurel kept wickets in the last match. If Rishabh is still not fully fit, he should either play as a batter or not play at all. Ravi Shastri believes he shouldn’t play if he cannot keep,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“I am of the opinion that the Indian team won’t be able to manage without his batting. I am absolutely honest about it because even though this guy had an injury in his hand, the result of the match might have been different had he not got run out. He played a 74-run knock even in that innings. He got out early in the second innings for sure, but Rishabh Pant is a match-winner. He is a game-changer and an entertainer,” he added.
Chopra compared Pant with former swashbuckling batters like Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist. Pant has the skills to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting.
“Rishabh Pant does now what Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist used to do. There are very few players who can break the mold of Test cricket. When someone does that, the opposing team remains stunned,” he responded.
“When a batter comes to bat, even if it’s Viru or Pant, you believe you should set a field that’s right for Test cricket, as the 150-year history is weighing down on you, and you think he won’t be able to hit this time, although he might have hit last time. When he comes and hits at the start, you are in a dilemma. Very few players have been able to challenge the DNA of Test cricket,” Chopra elaborated.
The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.
