‘I would have probably completed my hundred’ - Rishabh Pant

Wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been in impressive form across all  formats of the game, but has earned special praise for his temperament in the longest format. His natural game haxs helped the team adopt a counter attacking approach during crunch moments, and hold an edge against the opposition. 

In a recent interview, Pant has opined on him getting dismissed on 97 in the second innings of the 3rd Test against Australia at Sydney in January 2021. 

India were set a target of 407 to win the match, and openers Rohit Sharma (52) and Shubman Gill (31) provided a great start to the team. Cheteshwar Pujara and Pant were then involved in a quality partnership that steered the team in fine fashion. 

In a documentary series on India’s win in this Test series, the 24-year-old wicket-keeper has shed some light on the conversation with Pujara, which put him in an indecisive state of mind and left him devoid of a deserving hundred. 

Pant reckoned that the 34-year-old batter advised him to rotate the strike, rather than hitting a boundary, when on 97. 

"Rishabh…try to stick. You can work in singles, doubles too. You don’t have to hit a boundary’," Pant recalled what Pujara told him in Bandon Mein Tha Dum on VOOT.

“I got a little angry that they put me in this double-minded state. Because I like it when I’m very clear in my plans that this is what I want to do. 

Pant thinks the 148-run partnership had set up the chase for the team, and it would have been one of his memorable hundreds. 

“We had built such good momentum. In my mind the only thing at that time was ‘damn, what just happened?’ Because if I reached 100 there, it would have been one of my best."

The then captain Ajinkya Rahane has also backed up the claim made by Rishabh Pant, and confirmed that Pujara did tell Pant to play in a sensible manner to reach his hundred. Rahane further added that Pant was confident of completing his century, if the Rajkot-born batter had not intervened in the middle. 

"Pujara from the other end was telling him to slow down. We can score runs later. When any experienced player comes and tells you, ‘Now wait, you’re on 97 and you’re playing well, but now if you play a little sensibly you can make your 100. He was backing his game but unfortunately, he got out," Rahane said.

“When he came in, he was disappointed and angry and he said, ‘Pujara bhai came and reminded me that I was on 97. I wasn’t even aware. Had he not said anything, I would have probably completed my hundred," he added.

After the dismissal of Pant, Pujara was dismissed as well. But the unbeaten partnership of 62 runs in 258 balls from Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari helped the team salvage the Test match and win the series 2-1.