Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said that Rishabh Pant should play in his usual attacking style rather than being overtly defensive. Pant’s approach in Tests has been debated a lot as he is known to be more aggressive in the red-ball game.
While the mantra from the Indian wicketkeeper has been successful, there have been instances that have left the pundits and fans frustrated. There was that famous incident during the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy where Sunil Gavaskar shouted ‘stupid, stupid’ after Pant got out trying an unorthodox shot.
India coach Gautam Gambhir, while backing Pant’s style recently, also hinted that the wicketkeeper does need to respect the conditions a bit more. This would culminate in Pant looking confused while batting during the warm-up game against SLC XI.
In the first innings, he got out trying to play a risky shot and in the second one he was overly defensive and then was dismissed attempting a big one.
Dasgupta, on his YouTube channel, said that Pant should be left on his own, sticking to his original style. The former Indian wicketkeeper said that he sould be given the freedom to attack, especially the Sri Lankan left-arm spinners.
“He should bat exactly the way he usually does. I remember a few matches back where he was overtly defensive. I would rather have him get out going for a six than getting out playing a forceful defence. Rishabh should get the freedom to attack, and that’s also his strength. Also, Sri Lanka’s spinners are predominantly left-arm spinners. So Rishabh being in form and having the right mindset is crucial for India in this series,” former India batter Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.
Dasgupta also argued that dismissals while attempting attacking shots should not be treated as a major concern, stressing that players should be encouraged to play according to their natural strengths.
“This word responsibility is a complicated word. The viewers’ mindset is also strange: if a batter defends and gets out, that’s not irresponsible. But if someone plays a shot and gets out, it becomes irresponsible. The truth is certain batters have defence as their strength, while it’s attack for others. But getting out while defending has become acceptable, whereas it’s deemed irresponsible or rash if it’s an attacking shot,” said Dasgupta.
“Instead, you should analyse if the timing was right or if it was the right bowler to attack. But most of us judge a dismissal only by whether it’s an attacking shot. We must understand that an attacking batter will get out playing a shot 8 out of 10 times. So it’s important not to just say things for the heck of it,” he added.
This will be the first time Pant will be playing a Test match in Sri Lanka in his career.
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