NEW DELHI: Sunil Gavaskar, once scathing in his criticism of Rishabh Pant, has now offered a more thoughtful appraisal of the explosive batter’s style after the opening day of India’s domination in the first Test against England. During a segment on Sony Sports, Gavaskar heaped praise on Pant. Previously branding Pant’s shot in Australia as “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” on ABP Sport, Gavaskar has revisited his perspective.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In his fresh remarks, Gavaskar said, “It seems like that’s how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary. It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants. “Over here, he’s been measured in his approach, giving himself time out in the middle. But once he’s in and the bowlers start to tire, that’s when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries.”
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Such quick-fire aggression is now viewed less as recklessness and more as a calculated release.Gavaskar explained how Pant allows himself an initial period of restraint, adding, “Because he gives himself that time early on, it becomes easier for him to play those aggressive strokes later. When he defends, he seems to have so much time against the pace bowlers—it almost looks like he’s taking the mickey out of them, saying, ‘Look, I’ve got all the time in the world; I don’t need to play a big shot, I’m just middling the ball.‘ He’s got enormous talent. I’ve seen him score hundreds in South Africa and Australia, and they’ve been absolutely unbelievable. There’s such a great blend of defence and attack—starting with solid defence and then shifting to attack.”
Gavaskar’s earlier harsh critique sprang from frustration over Pant’s dismissal for just 28 during the tour of Australia. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that (India’s) dressing room – he should be going into the other dressing room!” he had said.With Pant’s approach now paying dividends and India opening their five-Test series in England with an imposing 359/3 at stumps on Day 1, his captain’s deputy Shubman Gill (127*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) stole the headlines, while Pant held firm at 65 not out, even unleashing two late sixes to keep the momentum flowing.
