"This has been his approach whenever he has played big knocks" - Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant
Saba Karim has highlighted that Rishabh Pant's approach in India's first innings of the first Test against Bangladesh was similar to the one that has given him success previously.
Pant smashed 46 runs off 45 balls in Chattogram on Wednesday, December 14. The Men in Blue ended the day at 278/6 after opting to bat first, with Shreyas Iyer unbeaten on 82.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Karim was asked about his views on Pant's knock, to which he responded:
"This has been his approach whenever he has played big knocks, whether it was in Australia or England. He plays attacking shots as soon as he comes to the middle, the field gets spread out, and then runs start coming easily."
The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter added that Pant's knock made Cheteshwar Pujara's task easier at the other end, explaining:
"So he was batting like that only today as well. Till the time he was there, he pushed the run rate up and batted freely. Cheteshwar Pujara also gained because of that. He (Pant) disrupted the spinners' rhythm and discipline. That is the advantage of having this type of batter in your team."
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Rishabh Pant is already a Test legend 👊🏻
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Pant contributed 46 runs in his 64-run partnership with Pujara. He walked out to bat when India were in a spot of bother at 48/3 at the fall of Virat Kohli's wicket and changed the momentum of the game with his attacking knock.
"It was a concentration lapse" - Maninder Singh on Rishabh Pant's dismissal
Maninder Singh was asked about Pant losing his wicket when he seemed set to play a big knock, to which he replied:
"I also felt Rishabh Pant would be playing a very big knock but somewhere or the other, it was a concentration lapse. He had hit a six off the previous ball. I have observed that wicketkeepers generally judge very quickly what the bowler is going to do."
The former Indian spinner added that the wicketkeeper-batter was deceived by the pace of the delivery despite predicting the length correctly, elaborating:
"Probably Rishabh Pant thought that because the previous ball was a full toss and he had hit a six, the next ball is going to be short. It was short as well but he (Miraz) pushed the ball in by using his shoulder slightly. Mehidy Hasan is doing something whenever the captain is giving him the ball, the time is with him."
Rishabh Pant in Test cricket in the last innings:
- 100*.
- 96.
- 39.
- 50.
- 146.
- 57.
- 46.
- 534 runs at an average of 89, he's a superstar of this format! https://t.co/LC6JzXwP4j
Pant smoked a six over midwicket off a full toss bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He went back to the next ball and tried to play it towards point, only to get a bottom edge onto his stumps.