Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed former teammate Rishabh Pant as a Test batter and has simultaneously advised him to blend some amount of game awareness with his natural aggression.
Rishabh Pant is known for his ability to launch an attack on the opposition bowlers under any circumstances, and hence his ability has never been doubted despite his different approach to the red-ball game.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin recognized Pant's need to understand when to cut his attacking mindset and resist the high-pressure situation; that is when the team needs him the most as a senior batter.
"I would like to see Rishabh Pant achieve his potential. We want him to entertain us, but he can do that and show restraint when needed. Pant is not a newbie anymore. I want to benchmark Pant to his standards," Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
In the ongoing England tour, where India are taking on the hosts in a five-match series in the longest format of the game, Rishabh Pant is standing tall as the second-highest run-scorer after the end of the first two matches.
The batter is only behind Jamie Smith and Shubman Gill in the list of runs scored and is second on the list of hundreds with 2 hundreds, only behind Shubman Gill, who has 3 to his name. He also possesses a strike rate of 81, the third highest in the series.
In this series, Rishabh Pant has already become the first Indian wicket-keeper batter to have scored 2000 runs in Test cricket in SENA countries. Even the likes of the great MS Dhoni could not achieve this huge feat.
He is not Adam Gilchrist; many compare him to Gilchrist. He didn't have such a good defence, says Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a dig at the frequent comparisons between Indian batter Rishabh Pant and former explosive Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist.
Though it is to be admitted that Pant is not as agile as Gilchrist with the gloves, Ashwin has backed him as a better Test batsman than the ex-Australian. Pant, who is often said to be a sheer entertainer, possesses a unique blend of attacking ability and defensive solidarity.
Ashwin has highlighted a major difference in the playing style of the two cricketers and considered the comparisons below Pant's standards.
"He is a fabulous player. He is not Adam Gilchrist; many compare him to Gilchrist. He didn't have such a good defence. Pant has a high-quality defence. He should be compared with some of the best batters, not Gilchrist. Rishabh Pant can do Pant things," said Ravichandran Ashwin.
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Rishabh Pant ruling in England
Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is currently dominating with his performance in England. He is one of the key batters for the Men in Blue on their tour to England, with the veterans retired.
Rishabh Pant is among the senior batters in the side alongside KL Rahul. Though both senior pros have performed well, Pant has been seen in commanding form, especially after a poor series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year.
Pant has scored twin hundreds in the first Test at Leeds, joining the list as the second wicket-keeper with such a feat after Andy Flower. He backed his hundred with a quickfire 65 in the second innings of the Birmingham Test as well.
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