3 reasons why Rishabh Pant should be the permanent number 5 for India in Test cricket
Rishabh Pant has been in incredible form in red-ball cricket. In 52 Test innings, the wicket-keeper batsman has scored 2066 runs at an average of 43.04. He has scored five centuries and nine half-centuries.
Out of his five Test centuries, four have been in Tests outside Asia viz. two in England and one each in Australia and South Africa. He has also scored a century in India.
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In the ongoing Test match against England, Pant came in to bat at no. 5 when India were in trouble. He played attacking cricket and added 222 runs with Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth wicket. He was eventually dismissed for 146 runs and completely changed the momentum of the game in India's favor.
In his brief Test career, Pant has tasted success all over the world. He is equally effective against both pace and spin and has a knack for scoring quick runs and taking the game away from the opposition.
On that note, here is a look at why Rishabh Pant should be the permanent no. 5 for India in Test cricket.
#1. Impressive track record at No. 5
Out of 51 Test innings, Pant has batted at no. 5 on seven occasions and tasted success. He averages 87.50 and has an incredible strike rate of 98.68 batting in that spot in Test cricket. The fact that he averages 37.23 batting at no. 6, 37.79 batting at no. 7, and 4.00 batting at no. 8 reflects the success he has tasted batting at no. 5.
He has managed to cross the 50-run mark on five occasions batting at that number and has also scored a hundred batting at the said batting position.
Considering his success, it would not be a surprise if the team management drafts Pant as the permanent no. 5 in Test cricket.
#2. Presence of a left-hander in the top 5 of the batting order
The Indian Test top-order comprises of all right-handed batsmen. The likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Chateshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Hanuma Vihari, who are the regular top-order batsmen for India, are all right-handers.
Rishabh Pant is a left-handed batsman and the combination of the left-hand-right-hand pair at the crease is always a hindrance for the opposing team.
Left-handed batters provide a different dimension to the game and Team India have been missing a left-hander who scores consistently at no. 5 since the retirement of Sourav Ganguly in Test cricket. Pant perfectly fits the bill and could be a long-term no. 5 for India in Test cricket.
#3. Takes pressure of other players with his aggressive batting
By the time Pant comes in to bat at no. 5, the new ball usually loses its shine and spin becomes a key factor. Pant is a naturally aggressive batsman and leaves no stone unturned when spinners bowl in Test cricket.
He loves going down the track against spin and is effective most of the time against spinners. The keeper-batter takes the pressure off his fellow teammates by scoring runs at a quick pace and putting pressure on the opponents with his unorthodox style.
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With Pant around, the rest of the middle-order and the lower middle-order can bat around him and take time to get used to the batting conditions. He can also score quick runs against the second new ball and has put opponents under pressure in the past by doing so.
Pant is an asset for India in Test cricket and will be a match-winner for team India in the years to come.