Former India spinner R. Ashwin has criticized keeper-batter Rishabh Pant for repeating the same mistakes despite having the ability to become the best Test batter in the world. He added that after playing 50 Tests, he has to take greater responsibility after getting set at the crease.
Despite his extraordinary talent, Ashwin stated that Pant's propensity to leave after making starts is still a cause for concern.
“I want Rishabh Pant to become the best Test batter in the world. That’s what I want. When all the fielders are standing on the boundary, why are they there? They are there because they know you are going to hit the ball there. Test cricket is a game of cat and mouse,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
In reference to Pant's dismissal following his 81 against Afghanistan, Ashwin stated that the wicketkeeper had already put in the effort necessary to construct an innings. Ashwin was as passionate about Pant's batting prowess, calling him one of the game's most talented Test batters.
“You got to 80. Didn’t you think, ‘I’ve come this far; let me get home’? It’s like driving 300 kilometres and then jumping off a mountain when there are only 20 kilometres left. When he defends, it is like Gavaskar himself has come and batted. He has so much time. He can play any shot he wants,” Ashwin said.
“When fielders are stationed on the boundary, and you still try to clear them, that is not playing percentages,” he said.
Pant was batting in the nineties with boundary riders dispersed over the field, but he chose an attacking shot that resulted in his removal, according to Ashwin, recalling the Chennai Test against England.
“If he had stayed there for another 50 runs, we might have won,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin acknowledged that every batsman makes mistakes, but added that Pant now has enough experience to prioritize the needs of the team over personal preferences.
“Everyone makes mistakes. But when the same mistake keeps happening after people point it out, I am not okay with that. He has played 50 Test matches now. He needs to start doing it for the team,” he said.
