Rohit Sharma says Rishabh Pant 'needs to understand...' after Melbourne Test debacle

Add as a preferred source on Google

India's captain Rohit Sharma has called for Rishabh Pant to assess the balance between risk and reward in his aggressive style of batting after the team's defeat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

While Pant's bold approach has reaped rewards for India in the past, Rohit believes that the young keeper-batter needs to better understand when to take risks and when to reign in his natural attacking game.

Pant's dismissals in both innings of the MCG Test were a point of discussion after the match. In the first innings, Pant was caught scooping to deep third, a risky shot that failed to pay off. In the second, with India fighting to save the game, he pulled a long hop from Travis Head to wide long-on, dismissing himself when his steadying partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal was crucial. Rohit acknowledged the disappointment within the team but pointed out that these types of dismissals were part of the mixed reactions Pant's approach sometimes attracts.

"It's about him understanding what is required from himself," Rohit said, emphasizing that while Pant's flair has brought the team success, it also comes with its risks. "More than any one of us telling him, it's about him figuring out what is the right way to go about it. In the past, he has given us a lot of success doing what he does." Yet, the captain added, the frustration arises when things don't go according to plan, as was evident in the Melbourne Test. "Sometimes you want to back that thought of him playing the way he plays, sometimes when things don't look good, it frustrates everyone."

Rohit continued, expressing the difficulty of guiding a player whose natural style has led to significant victories, yet also occasionally backfires. "As captain, it's hard to have a conversation when it has given him a lot of success as well." He explained that Pant needs to figure out the right approach for different match situations, weighing the risk percentage and understanding when it's better to avoid taking unnecessary chances that could give the opposition a way back into the game.

Despite these concerns, Rohit made it clear that Pant is aware of the team's expectations and that conversations have taken place regarding his approach. Rohit, who has known Pant for a long time, acknowledged the fine line between encouraging the batter's attacking instincts and guiding him towards more calculated risks. Pant's individual brilliance is undeniable, but as India faces stiffer challenges ahead, the balance between risk and reward will be crucial for his role in the team.