Ashwin Advice to Rishabh Pant: Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that if Rishabh Pant manages to strike a balance between his aggressive and defensive game, he could score a century in every match. Appreciating Pant’s ability to change the course of a match single-handedly, Ashwin noted that many of his shots are quite risky, preventing him from fully assessing his potential.
Pant recently showcased a brilliant example of his defensive game in the first innings of the fifth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Sydney, scoring 40 runs. In the second innings, he scored the second-fastest half-century in Test cricket for India.
Pant Has Not Yet Realized His Full Potential: Ashwin
Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel, “We need to tell him exactly what he needs to do, whether to bat solidly or with intent. He hasn’t scored a lot of runs, but it’s not that he hasn’t scored any. He still has plenty of time. Rishabh Pant has not yet realized his full potential. He has every type of shot – reverse sweep, slog sweep, and more – but the problem is that these shots are very risky. If he focuses more on his defensive game and faces 200 balls, he could score big in every match.”
Pant Needs to Find Balance: Ashwin
Ashwin, who recently retired, emphasized, “The main issue is creating balance. If he succeeds in doing that, then he can score a century in every match. He has to find the middle ground.” Pant scored 40 runs off 98 balls in the first innings of the Sydney Test against Australia and then struck 61 runs off 33 balls in the second innings.
Ashwin talking about Rishabh Pant’s Defence :
I will change my name if someone shows me a Clip of Rishabh Pant getting out while defending 10 times 🥶
I have bowled to him a lot in the nets, he doesn’t get an edge, he doesn’t get LBW, he has the best defence. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/xWygABOXRY
— V`17 (@Onehandedsix) January 10, 2025
Contrasting Innings: Defensive and Aggressive Styles
Ashwin noted, “Pant played two innings with contrasting styles in the Sydney Test. He scored 40 runs in the first innings while batting defensively, but this was not discussed enough. That’s not right. In the second innings, he scored a strong half-century, which earned him a lot of praise. However, everyone forgot the first innings and only praised him for the second.”
Ashwin said “We must realise that Rishabh Pant rarely gets out playing a defence. He has got one of the best defences in world cricket, defence has become a challenging aspect, he has the best defence with a soft hand. I will change my name if someone can show me Pant getting out… pic.twitter.com/nS29eX0FS4
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 10, 2025
Ashwin Praises Pant’s Defensive Technique
Talking about Pant’s defensive skills, Ashwin said, “We should recognize that Rishabh Pant has rarely been dismissed while batting defensively. He has one of the best defensive techniques in world cricket. I’ve bowled to him a lot in the nets, and he hasn’t been dismissed. The ball doesn’t take the edge of his bat, and he doesn’t get LBW. His defensive technique is very solid, and I’ve tried to convey this to him.”