"He is a match-winner and I believe he will come good" - Dinesh Karthik defends under-fire Rishabh Pant
Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik does not necessarily believe Rishabh Pant needs to make drastic changes to his approach and technique in the final two Test matches against England. Pant has endured a bleak series so far with 37 being his highest score across five innings.
The flamboyant left-hander came into the series on the back of some exceptional form in red ball cricket. Match defining knocks in Australia, coupled with his maiden home century, meant that expectations from Pant soared heading into England. However, he has not been at his best in the ongoing series, and has been particularly criticized for playing unnecessary rash shots outside of his body.
His approach to standing outside the crease has not helped his case so far, with James Anderson and Ollie Robinson able to counter his threat anyway. Dinesh Karthik noted that Pant will have to be given time in order for him to flourish. He told the Times Of India:
"Pant has got most of his runs that way, he got tons of it in Australia and you will have to give him the time and allow him to flourish. I don't think he needs to change anything drastically in the middle of the series. Pant knows how to deal with these conditions. He is a match-winner and I believe he will come good."
Pant can still try to be a little careful about his shot-selection: Deep Dasgupta
Former India wicket-keeper batsman Deep Dasgupta also had a few pointers for Rishabh Pant to overcome his current woes. Dasgupta reckons that Pant is a player who can win a contest single-handedly, but needs to watch his shot selection. He told the Times Of India:
"It is important that Pant's thought process is not jumbled up. If Pant gets going in one innings, he will probably win you the Test match… So you can take that little bit of chance with him. But saying that, Rishabh can still try to be a little careful about his shot-selection."
Dasgupta firmly believes Pant can play his natural game once he has seen out the initial phase at the crease, which includes deliveries probing the fourth stump line. He added:
"The likes of Anderson and Robinson know how to use these conditions brilliantly and get left-handers in that channel outside the off-stump bowling over the wicket. But if Pant can deal with it initially, he can always do his own jazz --- coming down the track or whatever."
For the fourth Test of the ongoing series, Rishabh Pant heads back to the venue where he scored his maiden Test hundred against England. He scored a sublime 114 off 146 deliveries as India tried to chase down an improbable target of 464 runs in the fourth innings at the Kennington Oval during the 2018 series.