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"Very Questionable Tactics": Ashwin Dissects Rishabh Pant's Approach In Test Cricket

Jatin

Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant [Source: @ashwinravi99, @OfficeOfCRSY/x.com]Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant [Source: @ashwinravi99, @OfficeOfCRSY/x.com]

You can love him, fear for him or scream at your screen but you can’t ignore Rishabh Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter once again walked the tightrope of madness and magic as he slammed a second-innings century that left fans thrilled and probably left the dressing room biting their nails.

Ashwin Breaks Down The Chaos And Class Behind Rishabh Pant’s Hundred

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin knows a thing or two about pressure in the longest format and he had some very real thoughts about Pant’s hundred at Headingley. Speaking on his X handle, Ashwin admitted that while Pant’s fireworks are fun for fans, it us an entirely different story inside the Indian camp.

"His modus operandi has always been up for questioning," Ashwin said, taking aim at Pant’s wild shot selection. “Against Brydon Carse he played a slog sweep which did not seem like percentage cricket… very questionable tactics, but that’s the way he’s been going about his business.”

Pant didn’t make things easy early on. He came in after Shubman Gill’s early dismissal on Day 4 and looked scratchy at the start. There were plays and misses, one charge down the wicket to Woakes that had no business succeeding and a few outrageous attempts at scoops and sweeps.

One of them, a full-blooded slog sweep against Carse, barely cleared the fielder, helped in part by the wind blowing across the ground. Another, a scoop, ended in an LBW shout and an unsuccessful England review.

Ashwin, though, made an important point. Pant may be reckless, but he delivers. And that is what matters.

“If he's going to take the sword, might as well judge him by the performances and not by how he does it,” Ashwin said. “As a fan, I am enjoying it. But it could be very nervy sitting in the dressing room if you are a coach… it could be really, really tense.”

Despite the drama, Pant weathered the storm and finished with a stunning 118 off 140 balls including 15 fours, 3 sixes and enough edge-of-the-seat moments to last a lifetime. With that knock, he helped India set England a huge target of 371 runs. Going into the final day, the hosts need 350 runs to win the match.

Rishabh Pant's Knock Was Flawed, Fearless And Phenomenal 

Rishabh Pant’s innings wasn’t textbook. It wasn’t clean but it was impactful. In a Test where one misstep could have tilted the balance, Pant backed himself, rode his luck and handed India the upper hand.

As Ashwin rightly put it, you can raise an eyebrow at the method but you can’t ignore the madness when it brings home the goods. Love him or lose your mind watching him, Rishabh Pant is playing the game his way and right now, it’s working.