Rishabh Pant was slammed by former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar after another dismal effort with the bat in the 4th T20I of the ongoing India-South Africa series. Gavaskar was not satisfied with the Indian stand-in skipper continually getting out in the same manner.
Pant scored 17 runs in 23 deliveries before succumbing to Keshav Maharaj's bowling. The wicketkeeper-batter attempted to take on the South African spinner for a big one, but instead gave Dwaine Pretorius a routine catch.
Pant's previous dismissals in the series was brought up by Gavaskar, who chastised him for failing to learn from his mistakes and making it easier for the opposition to prepare against him.
While commentating on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “He hasn't learned. He hasn't learned from his previous three dismissals. They throw wide, and he keeps going for it. He can't throw enough muscle on that. He has got to stop looking to go aerial that far outside the off-stump.
“There is no way he's going to get enough on it. It has gone to short-third! They all plan it, South African bowlers and Temba Bavuma… just bowl wide outside the off-stump and you will get him," said Gavaskar.
Pant has been dismissed ten times in T20s on deliveries outside the off-stump this year, according to a graphic from the official broadcaster. Gavaskar picked up on these issues and stated that the Indian skipper making the same error several times in a series is a matter of concern.
“10 times, he has been dismissed wide outside off-stump (in T20s in 2022). Some of them would've been called wide if he hadn't made contact with it. Because he's so far away, he has to reach out for it. He will never get enough power on it. To keep getting out in the same series in the same manner, for a captain of the Indian team, that's not a good sign,” added Gavaskar.
Pant has scored just 57 runs in 4 matches in the ongoing series, at an average of 14.25. During the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), the stand-in skipper did not get a single half-century.
(Star Sports inputs)
