We told Rishabh Pant to lose weight and respect the game: Ravi Shastri
Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed that before the tour of Australia, the management bluntly asked Rishabh Pant to shed some weight and "respect the game" if he wants to continue playing for the country.
Ravi Shastri further commended Rishabh Pant for the hard work he has put in in recent months and added that the results are there for everyone to see. The 58-year-old even labeled Pant's scintillating hundred (101) in Ahmedabad as the best counterattacking knock he has ever seen in India.
"Rishabh Pant has been simply magnificent. We were hard on him. Nothing comes easy. He was told in no uncertain terms that he has got to respect the game a little more. He's got to lose a bit of weight and work hard on his keeping. We know the talent he has and he has responded. He has worked like hell for the last few months and the results are here to see. Yesterday's innings was the best counterattacking innings I have seen in India. It was a two-phase innings. He built a partnership with Rohit playing against his nature - to do that is not easy - and to turn it on after 50. Keeping has been magnificent and Washi was outstanding too," said Ravi Shastri in the post-series presentation.
Rishabh Pant's Man of the Match performance in Ahmedabad was the culmination of a fairytale phase in his international career.
The pugnacious wicketkeeper was India's highest run-scorer in the 4-Test tour Down Under as he collected 274 runs from just 5 innings. He backed up that performance by scoring 270 runs in 7 innings at a brilliant average of 54 in this series against England.
"Satisfying to see youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Sundar perform in tough situations" - Shastri
Rishabh Pant was well supported by his Under-19 partner Washington Sundar in Ahmedabad. Sundar played an outstanding knock of 96 not out and forged a game-changing 113-run partnership with Pant for the 7th wicket.
Commenting on the same, Ravi Shastri said it was satisfying to see youngsters revive the team in pressure situations.
"It's a great feeling to win the series. It's satisfying to see the youngsters perform in tough situations. The way Pant and Washi played... pressure was on us but from there to get to 360 was incredible," said Ravi Shastri.
With the series win, India booked the spot in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand at Lord's later this year.