"Huge decision by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid to back Rishabh Pant at No. 5" - Saba Karim after 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test
Former Indian wicketkeeper and selector Saba Karim believes the decision to promote Rishabh Pant to No. 5 in Tests has been an absolute gamechanger for India.
The Men in Blue needed a new No. 5 in the longest format after they dropped veteran Ajinkya Rahane, with many tipping Shreyas Iyer to fill his shoes. However, Pant's aggressive approach and his ability to take on the spinners made skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid back the 24-year-old for the position.
Speaking on the YouTube podcast 'Khelneeti', here's what Saba Karim had to say about Rishabh Pant's impact at No.5 in Tests:
"It has been a huge decision by Rohit and Rahul Dravid to back Rishabh Pant at No. 5. They think they can get more out of Pant at No. 5 and with Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja to follow, it makes India's middle-order look extremely strong. The rate at which he scores runs also has a huge impact on a Test match."
Saba Karim lauds Rishabh Pant's improved work behind the stumps
Saba Karim was also impressed with the way Rishabh Pant kept wickets in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Being a former wicketkeeper himself, Karim understood how difficult it was to do the glovework on a rank turner.
The 54-year-old believes the confidence Pant has gained from his batting performances is in fact helping him improve as a wicketkeeper. He opined:
"When you give this kind of freedom to a player, only then does he play with freedom and express himself. Rishabh Pant is batting with a lot of confidence and that has reflected in his wicketkeeping too, the way he kept against three quality spinners was fantastic."
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Former Delhi Ranji Trophy cricketer and Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma opened up on how Pant used to bat during his U19 days on the 'Khelneeti' podcast. He also praised the Indian team management for showing faith in the 24-year-old's abilities despite the odd failures here and there.
Sharma stated:
"I won't call it a careless approach. Pant used to play in a fearless manner, even at the U19 level where he smashed an unbelievable triple century. The current, as well as the previous team management, have given him a longer rope despite the criticism because he is such a player that on his day he can win you a game against any opposition."
It will be interesting to see whether India stick to the ploy of batting Pant at No. 5 when they play away from home.