Rishabh PantHis influence on Indian Test cricket is controversial. Over the years, the wicket-keeper batsman has built a reputation as India’s greatest match-winner, producing game-changing knocks in difficult situations and often changing the momentum through his attacking style. With eight Test centuries in 50 matches, Pant has become one of the premier players of his generation in the longest format.However, his fearless batting philosophy remains a matter of debate. While this aggressive approach has helped the Indian batsman produce some memorable innings abroad and at home, it has also led to disappointing dismissals at crucial moments. Pant has often squandered opportunities to convert promising scores into hundreds, especially after reaching the 80s and 90s, opting to continue playing high-risk shots instead of adjusting his approach.While this method has generally worked in his favour, there have been occasions when it has come under fire, particularly when his wicket has come at a crucial stage of the innings.The latest example of this came during India’s only Test against Afghanistan. Pant looked set for another crucial score before being dismissed for 81 runs. While India were firmly in control of the contest and the dismissal had no bearing on the final result, former teammates Ravichandran Ashwin The latter highlighted the innings as another case of the wicketkeeper-batsman failing to learn from his past mistakes.Speaking on his YouTube channel Ashwin Appreciated Pant’s immense potential but questioned his tendency to lose focus after getting into strong positions. The former Indian spinner suggested that Pant’s repeated dismissals in the 80s and 90s had denied both the player and the team even greater rewards.“You get out many times in the 80s and 90s. It’s impossible to find such a great Test batsman. But to play a shot like that at 80 is mind-boggling. Can’t you play 20 more runs after getting to 80? He has cost India a few times with surprising shots at the wrong time. As a batsman, he has to shoulder that extra responsibility. If he converts his multiple 80s into 100s, his stats will look incredible,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.Ashwin argued that Pant is now experienced enough to put more emphasis on game awareness and match situations. After crossing the milestone of 50 Test matches, the former spinner believes that Pant must balance his natural attacking instincts with the demands of the situation more consistently.“All batsmen make mistakes, but the amount of time he does is disappointing. Especially when a lot of people have told you it’s a mistake and still have to carry on, I’m not okay with that, he’s played more than 50 Tests now. So he needs to start playing for the team on more occasions.”
