India have their backs against the wall in the ongoing India vs Australia Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). What made matters worse was India’s poor start to Day 3 of the IND vs AUS Test as the Rohit Sharma-led side lost both Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja in the opening session. Pant, who was looking good until his dismissal, played a poor shot and gifted his wicket to the Aussies, prompting critics to question his shot selection.
Pant managed only 28 runs off 37 balls, hitting a few boundaries and surviving some close calls before being dismissed by Scott Boland while attempting a lap shot, caught by Nathan Lyon, leaving India reeling at 191-6, trailing by 283 runs in the Test.
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Former India captain, Sunil Gavaskar, criticised Pant’s shot selection, calling it ‘terrible’ given the field placements. He noted that Pant’s limited scoring methods—hitting over long-on or attempting risky shots—make consistent performances in Tests difficult. Gavaskar suggested Pant might be better suited to batting lower in the order.
"That is a terrible shot selection especially with the fielders placed where they were. He seems to have two ways of scoring either by hammering the ball over long on or looking to play these shots. Which means, at the Test level you can't always score consistently. If he wants to bat this way, he can't bat at no. 5 but lmaybe ower down the order. That means that he will score some runs here and there," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Gavaskar also questioned Pant's effectiveness at No. 5, pointing out his reliance on edged boundaries and a low 50-plus conversion rate.
"You see some of his fours there were edges through the slips. His 50 plus conversion rate is just 19 per cent? Is that good enough for a no. 5?"
Gavaskar, while on comms for ABC Sport also aired his frustration on Pant's poor shot selection.