"Rishabh Pant has forced himself from being a postpaid connect to a prepaid" - Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has received a lot of flak for his shot selection in India's second innings against South Africa at the Wanderers. The left-hander was dismissed for a duck after he ran down the track and attempted to play a big shot against Kagiso Rabada.
Reacting to the same, former India spinner Pragyan Ojha said the 24-year-old has put himself under the scanner because of the rash shot. On his latest post on micro-blogging site Koo, Ojha wrote:
"If #siraj is not available for tomorrow’s game, #ishant should play. It will be very surprising if he doesn’t. Unfortunately #vihari will make way for #virat. #pant with his shot selection has forced himself from being a postpaid connect to a prepaid! #SAvIND #3rdtest."
Ojha added that veteran pacer Ishant Sharma must be included in the side in the place of the injured Mohammed Siraj. He also predicted that Hanuma Vihari might miss out despite his gutsy knock with Virat Kohli deemed fit for the series decider.
Kohli, who missed the second Test due to back spasms, is all set to return to the side for the final fixture. Hosts South Africa secured a comprehensive 7-wicket victory to level the series 1-1 in the 2nd Test.
"We had a conversation with Rishabh during practice" - Virat Kohli
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, skipper Virat Kohli revealed that the team management spoke to Rishabh Pant regarding his slot selection. He has backed the southpaw by saying that all players are bound to make mistakes. Kohli added that it was important to understand the batter's mindset in such situations.
Kohli said:
"We had a conversation with Rishabh during practice. The shot that a batsman plays to get out, he is the first to know whether it was right according to the situation or not. We all have made mistakes in our careers in important situations. We have all got out, sometimes due to pressure, sometimes due to the bowler's skill."
Kohli continued:
"It's very important to understand what was the mindset at that moment, what decision you took and what was your mistake there. As long as we keep accepting our mistakes, we will improve and make sure that we don't repeat those."
The all-important 3rd Test between India and South Africa is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The contest will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town.