NEW DELHI: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Saturday angrily expressed his disapproval of Rishabh Pant’s shot selection during a critical moment on the third day of the Boxing Day Test.
A fuming Gavaskar had slammed Pant for his ramp shot that got him out, labelling it as ‘stupid’.
For Gavaskar the Pant shot was driven by ego rather than strategic thinking.
“When I see somebody as talented as Rishabh Pant play that shot, I had no problem with the first shot he played and missed. The reason I got upset was that ego took over for the next ball,” Gavaskar told ABC Sport.
Gavaskar elaborated on why he found Pant’s shot selection particularly frustrating, suggesting Pant was trying to assert dominance rather than playing to the situation.
“I’ve just been hit in the midriff for attempting a similar shot. I’m going to show the bowler who’s the boss. Test cricket is not easy. When he got out, they had two fielders in the deep, and this is a big ground. It’s not easy to hit sixes. You’ve got the fielders in catching positions over there—deep square leg and deep fine leg. But he got caught at third man with the edge.”
Gavaskar acknowledged Pant’s talent and past performances but questioned the need for such a risky shot at that stage of the game.
“I’ve seen him play some fabulous innings. But here in Australia, I get the impression that he thinks that’s the only way he’s going to score runs. Here he’s stepping down the pitch, lofting the ball, and getting a boundary. That’s not the way he has scored runs in the past. He has played those shots which have been outrageously good,” Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar highlighted Pant’s ability to score runs through conventional cricketing shots, suggesting he should rely on his established strengths rather than attempting high-risk strokes.
“I’ve seen him play the cover drive along the ground very well, the square pull shot he plays so well, the flick off the pads—everything he’s got. So, to take a little bit of a risk at that stage was a bit much,” said Gavaskar.
