Former Indian seamer Venkatesh Prasad praised Rishabh Pant’s knock during the first innings of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo on Monday. Pant scored a crucial knock of 63 runs off 89 balls and added a crucial alliance of 112 runs with Dhruv Jurel.

Pant was hit on his wrist on the opening day of the Test match by Lahiru Kumara and was forced to retire hurt after scoring only three runs. Prasad said fortunately Pant was hit on the bottom hand and thus it didn’t have a big impact on his batting.

“He keeps hitting shots with one hand. Luckily, the injury was to the bottom hand, and not to the top hand, which is the leading arm. In batting, the top hand has greater control. He was hit on the wrist. It’s a bone. Luckily, he didn’t get an MRI or an X-ray done. That means he is safe,” Prasad said on Sony Sports.

The former Karnataka pacer praised Pant for his aggressive approach and getting runs in an orthodox manner.

“It was just a matter of one wicket. Saransh Jain got out, and Rishabh Pant came, and the way he batted, he was completely unorthodox. He keeps playing his shots. The way he played those pull shots, not in control at all, but he is somebody who backs himself. He plays fearless cricket. He has a lot of self-belief and has excellent hand-eye coordination,” Prasad observed.

Meanwhile, Pant had also scored a crucial knock of 66 runs off 69 balls in the second innings of the opening Test match at Galle. Thus, he had played a key role in strengthening India’s lead.

India have posted 503-9 in the first innings of the second Test and Sri Lanka are currently 84-3 on the third day’s morning.