Rohit Emphasizes the Need for Pant to Find His Own Approach

Melbourne, Dec 30 (NationPress) While commending Rishabh Pant's earlier triumphs attributed to his high-risk style of play, Indian captain Rohit Sharma pointed out that the wicketkeeper-batter must determine the correct approach for both himself and the team.

Rohit's remarks came after Pant faced two disappointing dismissals during the 184-run defeat against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the first innings, Pant attempted a scoop shot to third man, scoring 28 runs off 37 balls, which drew sharp criticism from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

On the fifth day, Pant misjudged a pull shot to deep mid-wicket off Travis Head after displaying commendable restraint, returning with 30 runs off 104 balls. His dismissal initiated a collapse for India, leading to their total of 155 runs in pursuit of 340.

"There hasn't been any discussion about today. We are all disappointed. However, Rishabh Pant needs to comprehend what is expected of him more than any of us advising him. It's about him comprehending and identifying what is the appropriate way to proceed. In the past, he's provided us with considerable success through his style. As a captain, there is a certain mixed reaction to that.

"At times, you want to support his natural play; at other times, when things go awry, it can be frustrating for everyone. That’s the reality. It's about balancing success and failure. As a captain, it’s challenging to address this when it has also brought him much success.

"Ultimately, it’s about him understanding what is the right approach for different situations. In certain game scenarios, if there's a risk factor, do you want to take that gamble? Do you want to allow the opposition to re-enter the game? Those are the aspects he must resolve on his own," Rohit stated during the post-match press briefing.

Given that Pant has not been in top form throughout the series, Rohit remarked, "I’ve known Rishabh for a long time and have a good grasp of his cricket. Regarding our discussions, I can’t say I haven't spoken with him or that he doesn’t understand what is expected. He does understand. But the actions he takes bring results too, making it a fine line between advising him against those actions or encouraging them."

The composition of India’s playing eleven raised questions, particularly with Shubman Gill being excluded for Washington Sundar. With Gill’s absence, Rohit returned to his usual opening role, while KL Rahul moved to number three. Rohit explained that the decision to omit Gill was made to provide additional bowling options while maintaining batting depth.

"I spoke with him (Gill), and when you exclude someone from the team for any reason, a conversation is essential. The discussion with him was clear; he wasn't dropped. We just wanted a bit more cushion in the bowling department, opting for an all-rounder, which should not compromise our batting lineup."

"Replacing a batsman with a bowler was not my intention. We aimed to have depth in our batting while also fielding a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets. We considered every factor and made the unfortunate compromise with him.

"There was never any doubt about his performance or his ability to score runs. It was merely to establish a combination that would address both batting and bowling needs, which led us to this decision," he concluded.