MY KOLKATA EDUGRAPH
ADVERTISEMENT
regular-article-logo Sunday, 05 January 2025

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Dhruv Jurel in the wings, Rishabh Pant needs to assess risk

The loss in Melbourne could lead to a shake-up in the playing XI as India look to draw level in the series and keep their World Test Championship final chances alive. The final Test begins in Sydney on Friday

Our Special Correspondent Published 02.01.25, 10:43 AM
Rishabh Pant of India hits out to Nathan Lyon of Australia during day three of the Men's Fourth Test Match in the series between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 28, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia.

Rishabh Pant of India hits out to Nathan Lyon of Australia during day three of the Men's Fourth Test Match in the series between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 28, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been among the under-performers in the last three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but it is Rishabh Pant who has copped most of the blame for his reckless batting in both innings of the Melbourne Test.

While his high-risk methods may have fetched him success in the past, Pant needs to evaluate if such an approach will help him in the Australian conditions.

ADVERTISEMENT

The loss in Melbourne could lead to a shake-up in the playing XI as India look to draw level in the series and keep their World Test Championship final chances alive. The final Test begins in Sydney on Friday.

The Indians enjoyed an off day on Wednesday before getting back to nets ahead of the Sydney game. There is already talk on whether Dhruv Jurel could replace Pant because of his profligacy which has already spelt disaster for India.

Pant’s shot selection has been a topic of debate with Sunil Gavaskar terming his mode of dismissal in the first innings as “stupid”. He holed out to deep third man for 28 while attempting a scoop off Scott Boland at the MCG.

“...you have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that that’s your natural game. I’m sorry, that is not your natural game,” a fuming Gavaskar had said during commentary.

Refusing to learn his lessons, another over-ambitious pull off part-time spinner Travis Head led to Pant being dismissed in the second innings for 30. It ended a resolute partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal triggering a collapse and India losing seven wickets for 34 runs in the final session of the fourth Test.

Even Rohit stressed the need to figure out “the right way to do things” during the post-match media conference in Melbourne.

“...Rishabh Pant obviously needs to understand what is required from him. More than any one of us telling him, it’s about him understanding and figuring out what’s the right way to go about it,” Rohit said.

“As captain, it’s hard to have a conversation when it has given him a lot of success as well. But it’s about him figuring out what is the right way to do things, it’s about situations as well. Certain situations of the game, if there’s a risk percentage, do youwant to take that risk? Do you want to let the opposition come back into the game? Those are the things he needs to figure out himself.”

Such methods have fetched Pant success in the past and he averages nearly 42 in Tests. He has six centuries and seven nineties in 42 Tests, including a few match-winning innings.

Pant’s unbeaten 89 in Brisbane in 2021 fetched India victory in their last series in Australia while his 100 not outin Cape Town in a losing cause in 2022 are among his significant contributions.

But will benching Pant in the circumstances serve the team’s interests? Jurel has had some success at home in his brief Test journey but hadn’t been in his elements in the opener in Perth.

Additionally, it could be construed as a punishment for Pant’s daredevilry and will lead to an unnecessary controversy, reviving memories of Kapil Dev’s dramatic axing for the Eden Gardens Test against England in 1984.

The Indian team management will need to make some tough calls if they wish to restore discipline among the batters. Pant doesn’t need to prove that he is capable of shouldering the responsibility in dire circumstances.

Perhaps a nod from the captain or head coach Gautam Gambhir on where he needs to draw the line could help.

Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT