WTC Final: "Rishabh Pant was batting like a millionaire" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra has criticized Rishabh Pant for his buccaneering approach on the final day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Rishabh Pant danced down the wicket to a Trent Boult delivery and only managed to sky his attempted big shot for Henry Nicholls to take an excellent catch at point.
While reflecting on Rishabh Pant's knock in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned the gay abandonment with which the youngster batted. He said:
"Rishabh Pant was batting like a millionaire. There was a question there, is it just my way or the highway or is this just the way Rishabh Pant bats. Or was Rishabh Pant trapped in his own reputation that Pant bats like that?"
The former India cricketer highlighted that Rishabh Pant's batting effort on the final day of the WTC final was in contrast to the controlled aggression he had shown in the recent past. Chopra elaborated:
"We have seen him bat extremely well, seen him excel. We remember the Sydney Test match where he hit a century earlier and now the 97 he made. We remember the Gabba Test where he made 89 not out. We talk about the two centuries against England, one at the Oval and the other in India. We have seen match-winning knocks from him but not seen him bat like this there."
With India having lost their first five wickets for just 109 runs, Rishabh Pant's intention might have been to take the team to a defendable score. However, his shot selection left a lot to be desired.
"Rishabh Pant doesn't even do this in the IPL" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra was particularly critical of the shot Rishabh Pant played that led to his dismissal. He pointed out:
"To step out and hit the fast bowler, he doesn't even do this in the IPL. In IPL history, he has actually done it only once. He stepped out to Shivam Mavi and hit him for a six. He does give the bowlers a beating but in a different fashion. On this day, he was jumping out and swinging his bat."
Rishabh Pant has earned plaudits for some of the extraordinary shots he has played against the likes of James Anderson and Jofra Archer. However, the 23-year-old will have to learn to be selective in his strokeplay in the long run.