Former Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar has praised Rishabh Pant for playing a control knock in the first innings of the one-Test match against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Saturday. Pant scored 81 runs off 121 deliveries with the help of six fours and three sixes.
The southpaw had the rub of the green on his side as Afghanistan didn’t go for the review when he edged the ball to the wicket-keeper when he was on 54.
This was a crucial knock for Pant as he was coming after a mundane performance in IPL 2026. The left-hander could only manage 312 runs in 13 innings of the season at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05. Subsequently, he resigned from his captaincy position with LSG.
“He has been the most successful and impactful Indian batter in this format. I believe he always reads the situation correctly, but his playing style is different. However, he gives you results. He took his time for sure because he knows the pitch is good. He knows that they don’t have bowlers who can challenge you or dismiss you. He is an aggressive player, but his defense is also excellent,” Nayar said on Star Sports.
“He showed today that he can defend as well if required. He can play cautiously and can also hit three sixes in an over. He shows all colors and forms in this format, and we saw a different form today. We saw a controlled Pant. He was taking singles whenever he wanted and playing big shots whenever he wanted. It was good to see a different Rishabh Pant, and that’s his specialty,” he added.
On the other hand, former Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla said it is difficult for any bowler to bowl at Rishabh Pant.
“It’s difficult for any bowler to bowl to him. If you know as a bowler that a batter can only play big shots and doesn’t have a good defense, you can set the field accordingly, but his defense is as good. Whenever he defends, his bat is in great control. If you set an in-and-out field, he drives the game through singles,” he said.
Chawla highlighted that Pant plays accordingly to the field to score the majority of runs.
“Then, when you think he is driving the game through singles and you should bring the fielder up, he plays a big shot. This has always been Rishabh Pant’s specialty. He looked slightly tentative at the start because a wicket had fallen. When he got a big over, and the field opened up, he didn’t try anything after those three sixes,” Chawla elaborated.
At stumps on Day 2, Afghanistan were reeling at 113-5 after India posted a gargantuan score of 564-8 (declared) in the first innings.
