India’s swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been in sublime form. Pant scored a quickfire knock of 58 runs in the first innings of the second Test match and helped the team in posting a par score of 329 runs.
With 168 runs under his bag, Pant is the third-highest run-getter in the ongoing Test series against England.
Pant is known to hit the ground running and he can hurt the opposition with his blistering batting. The combative batsman can get quick runs and it is crucial for the opposition to get rid of him as soon as possible. The left-hander had also scored 274 runs against Australia in the three-Test matches he played Down Under.
England captain Joe Root understands the same and stated that Pant is a dangerous batsman. Root said that Pant always gives a chance to the opposition and his team should be ready to grab them whenever it comes their way.
“He (Pant) is a fine player and plays some extraordinary shots. He makes it very difficult for some bowlers to bowl at him. But more than anything, (it is on us as to) can we keep him quiet and can we make it difficult for him to really take us on and find ways of either getting him off the strike or get him out. Rishabh is extremely talented and he has got a great game but he will give you a chance and we just got to be ready to take that when it comes,” Root said.
On the other hand, the England seamers are expected to come into action in the pink-ball Test match. England veteran fast bowlers – Stuart Broad and James Anderson – haven’t played with each other for a long time and Root revealed that there is a possibility that the two old horses can be seen together in the Day-Night Test.
“Yes, they have got a chance. It is a great selection headache to have and to have all of these bowlers performing and giving us variety. We feel that we can pick a team that can best suit the conditions.”
“The records that they (Anderson and Broad) have and the things that they produce, especially in the last couple of years, is the reason why they are up there with the top three bowlers in the world.
Meanwhile, James Anderson had recently admitted that he and Broad could have played their last Test match together because of the rotation policy. The pink ball is known to do more in the air and off the pitch as compared with the red ball and the England seamers can be lethal.
The third Test match starts today at the Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad.
