ndia wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant’s Test stature has taken a hit in recent months after the 28-year-old lost his vice-captaincy role ahead of the one-off match against Afghanistan in June.
Pant’s batting had come under scrutiny after he had taken over as captain in a crucial second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, where India suffered their heaviest defeat by 408 runs last November.
While India’s spin batting deficiencies have been exposed over the last two home seasons, former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta believes that Pant will be the most important batter during the forthcoming two-match series in Sri Lanka.
‘Cricket geek’
“He is very important for India in this series. Rishabh is a proper cricket geek who can talk cricket for 24 hours. Whenever I’ve spoken to him, it’s always been about cricket. Though from the outside, he probably looks different, he’s a proper cricket guy. He is India’s match-winner, and it’ll be important for the Indian batters not to be too defensive and take the fight to the opposition bowlers,” Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.
Pant is the highest active six-hitter in Tests, having racked up 97 sixes in 50 matches. The Delhi wicket-keeper has aggregated 3557 runs at an average of 43.37 with eight centuries and 19 fifties.
Dasgupta added that Sri Lanka’s spin attack posing two left-arm tweakers will play in favour of southpaw Pant during the series.
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“Wellalage and Jayasuriya are both left-arm spinners, which makes Pant the batter even more important for India. Rishabh already has a reputation when he enters the crease. On top of that, it’s enhanced when there is a left-arm spinner bowling. Pant’s presence will be very important for India in this series,” Dasgupta added.
India are currently in action in a three-day practice game against Sri Lanka XI in Colombo, starting Friday. Shubman Gill’s side will feature in two Tests as part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, starting August 15.