India captain Rohit Sharma played down concerns over the form of Rishabh Pant in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, saying the wicketkeeper-batter knows what is expected of him and that he has been working hard in the nets. Rohit backed Pant, highlighting his success with the bat in the recent past and on the previous tours to Australia when he addressed the press ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Rishabh Pant, who was India’s hero in the 2020-21 tour, has struggled to live up to expectations, managing just 96 runs in three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far. Pant has been targeted with short deliveries and Australia captain Pat Cummins’s ploy has worked against him.
“There is no pressure. He has played just three Tests here. He has scored runs in India. He has been in good form. If two or three Tests go up and down, too much of judgement is not right. He knows what he has to do,” Rohit said.
“See, as I told you, all these youngsters – Rishabh, Gill, Jaiswal, all these youngsters are in the same boat. We don’t want to complicate what they are doing. They know what they are expected to do.
“Our job here is to keep talking them about small, small things like match awareness. I don’t think we need to tell them more and complicate stuff.
“Rishabh Pant knows what he has to do. He himself has a lot of expectations from him. He is working hard. I hope he clicks in the last two matches,” Pant added.
India’s young guns in the batting unit have flattered to deceive so far in the series. While Yashasvi Jaiswal began the series with a second innings hundred in Perth, the opening batter has struggled for consistency.
Shubman Gill has managed to get starts, but has not managed to convert them.
INDIA’S YOUNG IN BGT 2024-25
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – 193 in 3 Tests at 38.60
- Rishabh Pant – 96 in 3 Tests at 19.20
- Shubman Gill – 60 in 2 Tests at 20.00
