Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant said he took a more restrained approach in the first innings of the fifth and final Test match against Australia. Rishabh Pant said that the pitch conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) did not allow him to play in his usual aggressive style.
Jasprit Bumrah elected to bat first after winning the toss in Sydney on Friday, January 3. Pant came to the crease when the team fell to 57/3. The left-handed mortician adjusted his approach to suit the circumstances. He also took a couple of body blows from the pacers before being dismissed for 40.
I could have taken a 50-50 chance but I didn’t – Rishabh Pant
Speaking at the press conference after Day 1’s play, Rishabh Pant faced criticism for his performance in Melbourne, saying that the pitch conditions at the SCG did not allow him to play aggressively. He added that there were moments when he could have taken a risk, but instead chose to play it safe.
“I think in that innings I wasn’t going to lead the game because the wicket was overworked and that was the situation we were in. I felt I could have played a bit of defensive cricket,” Pant said.
“Yeah, there’s time to attack, but you have to feel it from the inside. I just can’t think in advance how I’m going to play. Whatever the game calls for that day, I try to do it.”
“That was my mindset. I think it’s not too difficult, although the first half can be difficult when you see the ball you can hit. But sometimes you have to play more sensitive cricket. I could have had a 50-50 chance. They conceded early in this innings. “
We try to maintain a balance between Attack and Defense – Rishabh Pant
The 27-year-old admitted that he is working on finding the right balance between attack and defence. Pant also admitted that batsmen often think too much when they are not performing well.
“I think you basically want to bring back the way you play the game, but ultimately you have to keep evolving. I feel like there’s no one way to play cricket. Anything that comes naturally is better, but you have to play Aggressive cricket and be selective with your shots. you have to find a balance between
That’s what I try to do – make the most of my style while keeping it simple. It’s important not to overthink, because when you’re not experiencing the best of tours, overthinking can take over. I’m just trying to keep things straight and give 200% on the field.”
Not sure how good the score is on this track – Beau Webster
Australian debutant all-rounder Beau Webster agreed with Rishabh Pant’s assessment of the pitch. Webster pointed out that the Indian batsmen forced the Australian bowlers to overwork the bowling over long periods.
“They (Indian batsmen) decided to go down and gave us a lot of runs. I’m not sure how well he would have scored on that track, but if he had won the toss, we would have batted first,” Webster said.
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