Former England captain Nasser Hussain while talking about Rishabh Pant's dismissal in the WTC 2021 final against New Zealand said that the wicketkeeper-batsman plays a unique brand of cricket and team management should manage him accordingly.
He further mentioned that Rishabh Pant is one of the main reasons why Team India is playing the WTC 2021 final. The southpaw played some extraordinary knocks against Australia down under earlier this year and helped his team defeat the home side twice on the trot.
In the home series against England, the wicketkeeper-batsman once again showed his heroics and scored a century against the visitors and helped his team book a place in the WTC 2021 final.
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However, in the final against New Zealand, Rishabh Pant couldn't quite make an impact in India’s first innings. The southpaw did not get off the mark for the first 19 deliveries and then flicked one towards mid-wicket to get a boundary.
However, after that, he managed to edge one delivery off Kyle Jamieson to Tom Latham, who took a brilliant catch in the slips to dismiss Rishabh Pant for 4 runs only.
While speaking to Star Sports, Nasser Hussain talked about Rishabh Pant's dismissal saying that the southpaw could have done something different as it was a wide ball. He further lauded Kyle Jamieson for smart bowling.
"I mean he could have done something different. It was a wide ball that he could have left alone. The way Jamieson was smart, from around the wicket, the angles went with Jamieson. If he swings it in, he takes the LBW out of the equation.
“So, he went over the wicket and there was a review that was just clipping. The technique is not there. He's not moved his foot across and it's a dangerous shot,” Nasser Hussain told Star Sports.
Hussain pointed out that handling of Rishabh Pant going forward would be crucial for Team India and Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli is the best to handle him.
"The management and the handling of Rishabh Pant going forward is going to be crucial. Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli are the best men to handle him because they are just going to let him be," he said.
Nasser Hussain further said that India can't ask Rishabh Pant questions and sit him down for one or two bad shots because he has won crucial games for the country with that method. He suggested that India reached the WTC 2021 final because of Pant and the management will have to handle him and his odd poor decisions accordingly.
"You just can't sit Rishabh Pant down and say why did he do that. He's just not that sort of a cricketer. They have to let him go and let him express himself. He's already won games for India.
“India possibly might not have been here if it wasn't for some of the great knocks of Rishabh Pant. So you are not going to get the brilliance of Rishabh without the odd shot-making he's played there. So, the management and handling of him are going to be absolutely crucial," he concluded.
Team India had a great start to the WTC final as at stumps on Day 2 they were 146-3 but didn’t have best of Day 3 as Kyle Jamieson’s five wicket-haul helped New Zealand wrap up Indian innings on 217 runs. New Zealand ended day 3 on 101/2.
(Star Sports inputs)
