Boria Majumdar in Sydney
He faced a lot of criticism for the shots he played in Melbourne. And rightly so. In both cases, first and second innings at the MCG, the shots were not there. The reason was that there were fielders stationed for these shots and Rishabh played into the hands of the Australians.
Today was the opposite. Rishabh literally played with the Australians and got into their minds. If India is still here and has a chance, it is because of Pant. He chose his positions and that’s what marked his innings.
Even Sachin Tendulkar tweeted that on a wicket where others found it impossible to collect the ball, Pant flew to 60 with a strike rate of 184. The truth is that every time he played a shot, Pat Cummins was trying to adjust the field. And as soon as that was done, Pant would use that vacant spot. It was a game of cat and mouse and Pant was winning the battle in spirit.
Yesterday also, I had done a broadcast saying that Rishabh’s 40 was invaluable on a wicket where runs are very difficult to come by. He held back and did all the hard work. It was indeed a characterful innings and perhaps one that was not appreciated as much as it should have been.
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But today was profoundly different. He came out with the will to attack and he did it. The very first ball he faced was clubbed for six hours and that was an indication of what he would do in the next hour. Australia knew Pant was the dangerous man. They threw everything at him but he remained unfazed. And that’s down to his awareness of the game, the lack of which had let him down in Melbourne. This is where Pant learned from his mistake and this is where Shibman Gill will do well to learn from him.
Three things stood out from Pant’s innings – the first has to be his supreme self-confidence. Facing Scott Boland, Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins on a wicket where every ball does something is not easy. In fact, impossible. And yet, Pant did the job to perfection. That speaks volumes about his talent and confidence. Mitch Starc’s six consecutive overs at his home ground was a first and Pant kept India in this match.
The second thing that stood out was how smart he was. There was a method to this madness. He played several twos to accompany the big shots and closed the gaps easily.
Finally, just 24 hours earlier, he received severe blows to the bicep and grill. Also on the box. To come forward and bat like that in one day on a wicket that hasn’t changed takes courage. If he can display this level of game awareness, he is clearly India’s go-to player.
The ending was sweet, but the shot was fired. The relief on Cummins’ face spoke volumes. Another 30 minutes from Pant and the lead would be close to 200 and India would be in control. It wasn’t, but while he was there he made every ball worth watching. A Test Match round that the 47,000 SCG will remember for a long time. Maybe forever.
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