New Delhi. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that if Rishabh Pant is successful in striking a balance between his offensive and defensive game, he can score a century in every match. Praising Pant’s ability to single-handedly turn a match, Ashwin said that many of his shots are very risky. Recently, Pant presented a brilliant example of his defensive game and scored 40 runs in the first innings of the fifth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Sydney, while in the second innings he scored the second fastest half-century in Test cricket for India. .
“We have to tell him exactly what to do if he wants to bat solidly or bat with some intent,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He has not scored many runs, but it is not that he has not scored runs. He still has a lot of time.” He said, ”Rishabh Pant has not yet realized his full potential. He has all kinds of shots – reverse sweep, slog sweep, everything – but the problem is that all these shots are very risky. If he also focuses on his defensive game and faces 200 balls, he can score big in every match.
Ashwin, who recently retired, said, “The main issue is to create balance. If he is successful in doing this then he can score a century in every match. He has to find a middle path.” Pant scored 40 runs in 98 balls in the first innings of the Sydney Test against Australia and then 61 runs in 33 balls in the second innings. Ashwin said, “Pant played two innings with opposite styles in the Sydney Test. He scored 40 runs while batting defensively in the first innings, which was not discussed. This is not correct.”
The off-spinner said, “In the second innings, he scored a strong half-century, which earned him a lot of praise. Everyone forgot that first innings and praised him for the second innings.” Talking about Pant’s defensive technique, Ashwin said, ”We should note that Rishabh Pant rarely bats defensively. Got out. He has one of the best defensive techniques in world cricket.” He said, ”I have bowled him a lot in the nets, he did not get out. The ball does not take the edge of his bat. He would not have been LBW. His defensive technique is very good and I have tried to tell him that.
