Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned Rishabh Pant’s shot selection after India claimed an innings and 300 runs win against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Monday.
Pant played an impressive knock in the first innings of the one-Test match against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Saturday but was dismissed while trying to play a big shot. The left-hander scored 81 runs off 121 deliveries with the help of six fours and three sixes.
However, Ashwin noted that Pant often gets out in the 80s and 90s and his shot selection has cost India a few times. The former off-spinner reckons Pant would have had outstanding numbers if he had converted these fifties into big scores.
Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “You’ve got out so many times in the 80s and 90s. It’s impossible to discover such a great Test batter. But playing such a shot on 80 is mind-boggling. Having come to 80, can’t you play for another 20 runs? He has cost India a few times through baffling shots at the wrong time. As a batter, he has to take that extra responsibility. If he had converted his multiple 80s to 100s, his stats would look unbelievable.”
“All batters make mistakes, but the amount of time he does it is disappointing. Especially when so many have told you that it’s a mistake and to still keep doing it, I am not okay with that. He has played more than 50 Tests now. So he needs to start playing the situation for the team on many occasions.”
The former CSK all-rounder said Pant is the best Test batter and even Sunil Gavaskar is impressed with the way he defends the ball.
“He’s (Pant) actually the best Test batter. When he defends, it’s so good that even Gavaskar is impressed. When he defends, the ball literally pleads if it can move off the square to him. He has so much time, irrespective of how fast the ball comes at him,” said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).
“I’ve told him so many times that you’ve so much time to defend and can play whatever shot you want to. Why do you get yourself out? Many will say it’s his natural game. But natural game is playing the percentages in Test cricket. A good percentage shot is knowing there is a 70% success rate. When you look to hit a ball over the fielders on the boundary, it’s not a percentage shot at all.”
Pant would look to convert his starts and be more smart in his shot selection.
