Former England skipper Michael Vaughan reckons Rishabh Pant adopted a negative approach in the first innings of the second Test match against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Pant scored 25 runs off 42 balls and Vaughan questioned the left-hander for adopting a sedate approach on a flat pitch.
The southpaw joined forces with Shubman Gill in the 46th over after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Ben Stokes. Pant rotated the strike on regular intervals but didn’t take the attack against England bowlers, like the opening Test.
The Indian wicket-keeper had returned with scores of 134 and 118 runs in the opening Test at Leeds but could not carry his rich form.
“Rishabh was slightly underwhelming really, because he is such a brilliant player. I thought he played, can I use the word negative with Rishabh? I thought he was slightly negative. I was waiting for him to go, this is a flat wicket, and he was tapping back half volleys. It was a very unlike Rishabh Pant innings,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz after Stumps on Day 1.
On the other hand, Indian captain Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten knock of 114 runs on the opening day. Vaughan reckons if Gill survives the first session on the second day, he would look to reach his maiden double hundred.
“He saw a good pitch and went, ‘You know what, I am just going to bat all day. As a batter in this team, this team needs my runs’. When they lost a couple, and when they lost a couple more, I thought they could get bowled out for 280 if they were not careful. He dug in for his team to make sure that they did not lose the game on Day 1. If he is there at 12 o’clock tomorrow, he will be thinking of a double century,” Vaughan added.
Vaughan reckons Ben Stokes’ penchant for batting first on a flat deck might backfire on England one week.
“England will be absolutely fine with Day 1, they will be fine with getting five wickets. There is just a little bit of the traditionalist in me thinking eventually bowling first when the sun is out and the pitch is flat, it may backfire one week, and it might be this week,” the former captain concluded.
India ended the opening day’s play at 310-5.
