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“Bhai, Tune Kya Batting Kiya...”: Ashwin Showers Praise On Pant, Demands Double Ton In Next Game

Rajgeeta Yadav

Ashwin wants Rishabh Pant to score double hundred [Source: AP Photos and @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]Ashwin wants Rishabh Pant to score double hundred [Source: AP Photos and @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

In the ongoing Test series between India and England, Rishabh Pant has been nothing short of spectacular. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman made history by scoring a century in each innings of the first Test match, something only one other wicketkeeper has done in the history of the game.

Rishabh Pant played a heroic knock of 134 runs in the first innings, smashing 12 fours and 6 sixes, and followed it up with a brilliant 118 runs off 140 balls in the second innings, which included 15 boundaries and 3 sixes.

With this incredible performance, Pant surpassed the great MS Dhoni to register the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket. He also built two major partnerships, one of 209 runs with captain Shubman Gill in the first innings, and another of 195 runs with KL Rahul in the second.

R Ashwin's Honest Appeal To Rishabh Pant

While the world is applauding Pant’s batting, former Indian spinner R Ashwin believes the left-hander still has more to offer. On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that if he were in the shoes of coach Gautam Gambhir or captain Shubman Gill, he would have personally encouraged Pant to aim higher. Ashwin said:

"I sometimes feel if I were Gautam Gambhir or Shubman Gill, I would take Rishabh Pant aside and say, 'Bhai, tune kya batting kiya hai, kamaal ka batting kiya tune' (Brother, you've batted brilliantly). I would love to be a batter with the kind of ability you have. But can I request you to make a double hundred next time when you're batting on 130?"

Ashwin explained that India’s lower order doesn’t contribute much with the bat, and someone like Pant, who has so much talent, should try to take the team as deep into the innings as possible.

Gautam Gambhir Focused On Results

While Pant’s effort was admired by many, head coach Gautam Gambhir kept his focus on the bigger picture, winning the match. When asked about positives from the game, Gambhir said that individual performances don’t matter if the team doesn’t win.

Despite all this, India still lost the match, as England successfully chased down 371 runs in the final innings to win and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.