Rishabh Pant can be reckless at times and so was the case on Saturday when he walked out to bat on Day 3 of the ongoing India vs Australia Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The visitors required someone to shoulder the responsibility as the visitors were miles away from Australia's first innings total but Pant failed to do the same.
Resuming proceedings from the overnight total of 164/5, Pant and Ravindra Jadeja added 27 runs before the wicketkeeper-batter gifted his wicket to the home side by playing a rash shot. Pant, who is not new to unconventional style of batting, was caught at deep third man by Nathan Lyon off Scott Boland's bowling. He lost his wicket while trying to scoop the ball pitched on the off-stump line towards fine leg. However, in the process of doing it the ball took a top edge and flew straight towards Lyon positioned at third-man.
The shot came a ball after Pant tried to do the same but failed to make any connection and was hit on the upper part of his body, close to the stomach.
The moment left many fuming as India required a more cautious approach by Pant but he chose to counterattack. While angry reactions were expected, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar absolutely lost his cool while commentating. He called Pant "stupid" and suggested that the wicketkeeper-batter should go into the Australian dressing room, rather than the Indian.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid. You’ve got two fielders there and you still go for that. You missed the previous shot and look where you have been caught. You have been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was, you have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that’s your natural game. I’m sorry. That’s not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly," Gavaskar was heard saying on-air.
“He should not be going in that dressing room! He should be going in the other dressing room," he added.
Pant was one of India's hero when the team toured Down Under the last time. The southpaw has, however, struggled this time around and managed just 152 runs from seven innings.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
