When Rishabh Pant was dismissed on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he was heavily criticised. The ball was brought to Nathan Lyon’s third-man area after the flamboyant batter appeared to be in complete control before trying to play a scoop, which gave him a substantial edge. After Pant left for 28 runs, the spinner made a straightforward catch.
The scoop might have been careless given that India was seven down and the keeper-batter had a strong start on Day 3. When he failed to time it at MCG, it drew criticism, but he has found success playing the identical shot.
Angry after Pant was fired, former cricket player Sunil Gavaskar criticised him for making a “stupid” shot.
Instead of going to the Indian changing room, he even suggested that the cricket player go to the Australian one.
“Clumsy! How foolish! How foolish! That shot is foolish and you are not playing your natural game. “He ought to be going to the other dressing room instead of that (Indian) one,” Gavaskar stated on ABC Grandstand’s commentary just after the dismissal, as reported by Fox Cricket.
Watch the video below:
“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” 😡
🏏 Safe to say Sunny wasn’t happy with Rishabh Pant after that shot.
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🟢 Listen live: https://t.co/VP2GGbfgge #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Fe2hdpAtVl— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 28, 2024
Alyssa Healy and Kerry O’Keeffe praised Pat Cummins’ leadership.
During Pant’s ejection, Australia captain Alyssa Healy and Kerry O’Keeffe, who were on the commentary panel, praised Pat Cummins for creating an attacking field. Kerry said the pacer expected the India international to take a shot like that, but Healy noted that even if Pant didn’t want the ball to get to the third-man area, it was a dangerous shot because there were two people on the leg side.
You feel as though Pant was positioned there specifically for this photo. In anticipation of something similar, they also had the two deep (fielders) on the leg side, a backward square and a fine leg,” Kerry added.
“It’s a risky shot with two out on the leg side, but obviously Rishabh didn’t mean for the ball to go to Nathan Lyon,” Healy said.
Kerry came to the conclusion that Pat was smiling because he knew he had the pitch.
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