Team India captain Rohit Sharma says Rishabh Pant needs to figure out the risk percentage in his game and must understand what is required from him.
“There hasn’t been any discussion about today. We are all disappointed. Pant needs to understand what is required from him. More than anyone else telling him. He himself needs to understand what is required,” Rohit told the reporters after the end of the fifth Test.
Australia bowled India out for 155 to claim a thrilling fifth-day, final-hour victory in front of a record test crowd Monday in the fourth test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia’s 184-run win gives the home side a 2-1 advantage ahead of the fifth and final test which is scheduled to start on Jan. 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
After a shaky start when India were reeling at 33 for 3, Rishabh Pant (30 off 104 balls) and opener Yashavi Jaiswal added 88 runs for the fourth wicket. The second session went wicketless and it looked India might be able to pull off a draw.
Pant aggressively clubbed a delivery from part-time spinner Travis Head to long-on and was caught at 121 for 4. Pant’s dismissal opened the door for Australia to push for victory.
“As a captain, you know, it’s very hard to have conversation when, you know, it has given him a lot of success as well. But it’s about him figuring out, you know, what is the right way to do things. It’s just about situation as well.
“Certain situation of the game where if there is a risk percentage, do you want to take that risk? Do you want to let the opposition come back into the game?
“Those are the things, you know, he needs to figure out himself. See, I know Rishabh for a very long time and I understand his cricket as well.
“In the past also, we’ve had a lot of conversation. So, in terms of conversation, there is no way I can say that I have not had a chat with him or he doesn’t understand what the team expects. He understands that. But the things that he does gives him results as well.
“So, it’s just that fine line between telling him not to do those things or telling him to do those things.”
When coaxed about what was the message to Pant at the tea break, the Indian captain smiled and said: “He is a good player. When he got out unfortunately we lost couple of quick wickets and we know that was going to be tough.”
