RISHABH PANT NOW PLAYING SMART AND INTELLIGENT CRICKET: SUNIL GAVASKAR

After Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya gave India an edge over England in the third and final ODI. The Pant-Pandya pair added a 99-run stand in just 70 balls and received a lot of praise from experts. Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave a special appreciation for the wicket-keeper batsman top-scored for India with a 62-ball 78.

Impressed with Rishabh’s recent batting form, he said, “Very, very impressed. He is carrying on the good form he has been in the past three-four months. Most of all, he is playing smart and intelligent cricket. He is not trying to slog every ball.”

“He is waiting for the right ball to come when the ball is tossed up and within his range, that’s when he is playing the big shot. “Otherwise, look at some of the other shots he has played. He has used the bottom hand to a good effect. He knows exactly where the fielders are. Therefore, he is making sure he is hitting the ball in vacant spaces,” Gavaskar added.

Pant had received criticism at the start of his international career for playing risky shots and giving away his wickets. But Gavaskar pointed out that the wicketkeeper-batsman has learned how to play according to situations, which he feels is the most impressive feature of Pant’s batting.

“When he is not looking to hit the ball into the stands, he is hitting it between the fielders.

That has been the most impressive thing about his batting. He is now playing according to the need of the situation, and according to where the fielders are,” Gavaskar signed off.