Amid the poor run of form by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in Australia, Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that the youngster should be “criticised for his failures, rather than the way he fails”. Pant, who has had a fine record against Australia, has failed to convert his fine starts into big scores Down Under this time around. Often, he has fallen prey to poor shot-making, which has drawn immense criticism from the cricketing fraternity and fans, most notably former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. So far in four matches, he has made 154 runs at an average of 22.00, with no half-centuries in seven innings. His best score is 37.
Taking to X, Manjrekar wrote, “Pant should be criticised only for his failures, rather than how he fails. He averages 42 in Tests with at least 3 great inngs, ever played by an Indian! In 42 tests he has 6 hundreds & 7 nineties. He is a great player not scoring enough runs & that’s the crux of it.”
Pant should be criticised only for his failures, rather than how he fails. He averages 42 in Tests with at least 3 great inngs, ever played by an Indian!
In 42 tests he has 6 hundreds & 7 nineties. He is a great player not scoring enough runs & that’s the crux of it. #INDvsAUS
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 31, 2024
In 11 matches in Australia, Pant has scored 778 runs at an average of 45.76 and a strike rate of 66.72, with a century and two fifties in 19 innings. His best score is 159*.
In his first trip to Australia in 2018-19, he made 350 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 58.33, with a century and best score of 159*, ending as India’s top-run getter. Later in 2020-21, Pant scored 274 runs in three matches at an average of 68.50, with two half-centuries in five innings and best score of 97. His knocks of 97 at Sydney during a draw and 89* to chase down 328 runs at Brisbane are among his best innings that launched the swashbuckling keeper into stardom.
This year in nine Tests since his return to cricket after a life-threatening road accident in 2022, he has made 576 runs at an average of 36.00, with a century and three fifties. His best score is 109.
The final Test of the series will be the New Year’s Test held at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 onwards.
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