Former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming said that Indian dressing room might not be very happy with reckless shot selection by Rishabh Pant that got him out on third day of Boxing Day Test. The wicket-keeper batter got out in the first session of the first innings while trying to play a scoop shot against Scott Boland, only to be caught by Nathan Lyon.
Pant and Jadeja Tasked to Stabilize India Amid a Critical Phase
The Indians were in a vulnerable spot at the close of the second day’s play and it’s for Pant and Jadeja to steady the ship for the side. The left-handed batter started brightly, but his natural predilection for the more exotic big hitting shots became his undoing at the end.
Pant stirred the hornet nest getting splitting powers for the shot when he could have failed to repeatedly a ball before. However, it angered the majority because the field was especially set for such a stroke and, more importantly, it was the dreadful phase of the game.
According to Damien Fleming, the Indian contingent might have been anticipating a sensible knock from Pant, but not ‘crazy’ cricket.
“That is crazy. We were just discussing in the house that the leaders of the Indian team are having a conference today. Say, they wouldn’t have been discussing irresponsible cricketer, like now they do. He got away with it the previous ball . Australia and South Australia’s cricketer Nathan Lyon took a room service catch,” Fleming said on Channel Seven during commentary (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald).
India were bowled out to 191-6 in the 56th over after Pant perished. The visitors were soon losing Ravindra Jadeja and the team has had to depend on the two all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar to avert the follow-on.
Pant Falls Short Again: Struggles Continue Against Cummins
Rishabh Pant that was sent packing for 28 runs off 37 balls The wicket-keeper batter was once again able to get a score that would have perhaps paved the way for a big knock but again it did nothing on this occasion. He was dismissed without a fifty in the Border-Gavaskar series and has struggled, especially against Pat Cummins. The Australian skipper has been bowled out by him in three previous matches of the series itself.
In his first innings in MCG, he scored 28 runs off 37 balls, three fours and at 75.68 strike rate.
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