"We're going to have some conversations with him"- Rahul Dravid on Rishabh Pant's reckless batting in 2nd Test vs South Africa
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid spoke about Rishabh Pant's dismissal after after a seven-wicket loss against South Africa in the second Test. He disclosed that the team management would be having a dialog with the flamboyant batter about his aggressive brand of gameplay.
Dravid acknowledged that the same belligerent intent from Pant made him a bonafide match-winner in the format. However, he wants the youngster to time his assaults efficiently.
Dravid advised Pant to gage the pitch and playing conditions initially by spending some time at the crease rather than playing extravagant shots from the onset.
Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, Dravid said:
"In a sense, we know Rishabh plays positively, and he plays in a particular manner and it has got him a little bit of success. But yeah, ofcourse there are times when we are going to have some conversations with him."
He added:
"It is just about the selection of timing to play that way. No one is going to tell Rishabh not to be a positive player or an aggressive player, but sometimes it is just a question about picking and choosing the time to do that. When you just come in, giving yourself a bit more time might be a bit more advisable. "
Rahul Dravid hopes Rishabh Pant will learn from these experiences in tough situations and become an even better player in the future.
"But in the end, we know what we are getting with Rishabh Pant. He is a really positive player, he is someone who can change the course of the game quickly, so naturally, we won't take that away from him and ask him to become something different. He is still learning and will hopefully keep improving and get better," added Rahul Dravid.
Rishabh Pant had a disappointing game with the bat as he scored 17 and 0 in two innings. For more than the lack of runs scored, Pant received widespread criticism from critics like Sunil Gavaskar for the manner in which he got out. He played a rash shot off just his third ball in the second innings against a high-class bowler like Kagiso Rabada.
Critics and fans felt Pant should have been more responsible by respecting conditions. He should have built a partnership with Hanuma Vihari at that juncture.
"Hopefully their time will come" - Dravid on Vihari, Iyer not getting a chance if Kohli comes back
23*(161) at SCG and 40*(84) at Johannesburg in last 3 innings by Hanuma Vihari in Test cricket.
The Indian head coach reckoned that players like Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer performed well in the limited opportunities they received. He was hopeful that their time would come at some point.
Dravid was highly impressed with Hanuma Vihari's gritty display in both innings of the second Test. In his praise, Dravid said:
"I think Vihari played really well in both innings of this Test match. It gives us a lot of confidence. Shreyas Iyer has done that 2-3 Test matches ago. He's got runs as well. I think they just got to take heart from the fact that whenever they got opportunities, they did well, and hopefully, their time will come."
He further added:
"When you look back, some of the guys who are now seniors also had to wait and score a lot of runs, and it was a start-stop for them as well in the beginning. So it happens it is just the nature of the sport and the game.
Hanuma Vihari's 40(84)* with the tail is better than any half century scored today. Hope the management don't get it confused in the next match.
Virat Kohli's return to playing XI for the third Test is inevitable, subject to his fitness clearance. It will be interesting to see who will make way for him in the XI.
Veteran middle-order batters Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara scored half-centuries in the second innings at the Wanderers. So Vihari might most likely be the unlucky one.