Sunil Gavaskar Praises Rishabh Pant’s Impactful Innings at SCG

A few days ago, Sunil Gavaskar went viral for his fiery commentary during the ongoing India vs Australia Test series, where he repeatedly called Rishabh Pant’s shot selection “stupid, stupid, stupid.” However, on Saturday, the Indian cricket legend was full of praise for Pant after the wicketkeeper-batter smashed a quick-fire 61 off 33 balls on a challenging Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch, adding to his 40 runs from the first innings.

Gavaskar highlighted how Pant’s approach made a significant difference to India’s total. “These are impactful runs. Pant is the reason India has managed to post these runs, contributing half of the team’s score. The key difference between his Melbourne dismissal and today’s innings is that he focused on playing shots straight down the ground,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

The former India captain explained how Pant utilized his strengths effectively. “Pant capitalized on Mitchell Starc’s angle, flicking towards square-leg and playing his signature straight shots for big sixes. He attempted scoops and reverse scoops but realized sticking to his natural game was the key to success.”

Gavaskar contrasted Pant’s gameplay with that of other Indian batters. “Stepping out and playing aggressive shots isn’t Shubman Gill’s natural game in Tests, though it might work in T20s. Similarly, the shot KL Rahul played wasn’t his normal style. They seemed to believe they couldn’t survive long on this pitch, but playing against your strengths often leads to failure.”

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