England's spin coach also said Washington Sundar and Pant's partnership was crucial for India.
England's spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel on Friday (March 5) heaped praise on India’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant after his aggressive batting took the game away from the tourists in the ongoing fourth and final Test at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
On the second day of the fourth Test, the left-hander played a magnificent knock of 101 to take Team India to 294/7 as the hosts took a crucial 89-run lead in the ongoing final Test in Ahmedabad.
Patel said at the virtual post-day press conference on Friday: “When players are allowed to play as well as they are and showcase the skills that they can ... Rishabh Pant is in this side to do what he does, like he did today, take games away from the opposition. He did it so well today, you know, he struck out of the middle, big applause to him.”
Pant scored his first 50 runs in 82 balls before he went on to hit his third Test hundred in 118 balls, studded with 13 fours and two sixes and English coach said: “When a guy is striking as well as he has been this series, it is pretty daunting to have him come in at seven and score the way he does.”
He was also highly impressed the way two youngsters Pant and all-rounder Washington Sundar (60 not out) batted almost the entire session without losing a wicket, as they added 113 runs for the seventh wicket to pull India out of trouble after the hosts suffered top-order collapse on Day 2.
The spin coach said, “He (Pant) certainly came out after that tea break and took it to us. He was in a totally aggressive role and I think it obviously paid off for them getting a hundred. But the important part of him was the partnership that they created with Sundar and for them to bat almost all the session without losing a wicket, hats have to go off (on) how they played there.”
He added, “The game is still quite under the balance I believe. But I think Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar, that partnership is huge. Going to that last session, as I have said before 153/6, 56 runs in arrears, we were hoping, that we can step up one (wicket) early and get through them and have a lead going into this evening. But look whether there was discussion in the change room or not, but he (Pant) certainly came out and played shots a bit more, got more aggressive than and it came off for them.”
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old lauded England all-rounder Ben Stokes for taking the two crucial Indian wickets, including Virat Kohli and hopes to see his best on Day 3 again in Ahmedabad.
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Patel stated, “He got some crucial wickets along the way and did exactly what a second seamer would do. He (Strokes) is pretty cooked, as you can imagine, but he is war-horse, he loves it, he loves when it gets tough, hot and tiring, so hopefully we will see his best again tomorrow.”
England’s spinner Jack Leach finished with figures of 2/66 on Day 2, but Dom Bess didn't have a good day against India and the spin coach admitted he would be down and tired about it.
He signed off by saying, “He (Bess) would have liked to bowl a lot better today, given a lot more to the group, but did not work out for him. They played him very well; they stepped on him and looked for balls to score off him. Right now he would be down and tired about it, but the beauty of this game there is another opportunity tomorrow.”
(With PTI Inputs)