Rishabh Pant is an invaluable cog in the India Test setup, and has already played several game-changing knocks in his 41-Test long career. However, if there has ever been a weakness in his game, it has been his wicket-keeping ability compared to the other top wicket-keepers in India. While his performance with the bat has hardly ever been questioned, Pant has faced question marks over his ability behind the stumps. Former Australia wicket-keeping great Ian Healy, who even Shane Warne labelled the best wicket-keeper to bowl to, has now analysed Pant’s skills.

Healy stated that Pant’s wicket-keeping skill has improved incrementally.

“Rishabh Pant is a work in progress, but I saw him in the mornings and like the drills he is doing; he is bound to improve more,” Healy told The Indian Express.

“At times, as he (Pant) did when he dropped a catch in this series earlier, he can make an initial wrong movement. Some keepers like to move a touch to their left first and then press from there,” Healy analysed.

Pant has taken 19 catches in the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, generally showing improved composure behind the stumps.

Healy gave an analytical piece of advice for Pant and other wicket-keepers of the modern era.

“It’s better to be still and if you can’t, then you start that trigger movement a touch early so that by the time the ball is out there, you can still press to the right side. One of those two decisions have to be made,” Healy said.

When it comes to Pant’s selection, not only are his keeping skills taken into account, but also his ability to accelerate right from the start amid pressure situations with the bat. Pant has done so a couple of times in the ongoing series already, but has failed to register a big score yet.

Virat Kohli loves to perform against Australia but the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour isn’t expected to be a bed of roses for him. Struggling for form over the last year or so, Virat has big expectations on his shoulders in the 5-match assignment. While Ricky Ponting is among those Australian cricketers who expect Kohli to bounce back Down Under, another great cricketer from the nation, Ian Healy, is busy crafting plans to counter the threat that the India batter poses. Giving a piece of advice to Pat Cummins and other Australian pacers, Healy has asked the Australian bowlers to cramp Kohli for space by bowling him in the body.

“Body bash. Bowl at the back armpit, that’s the right arm as a right-handed batsman … and it’s got to be hot,” Healy told SENQ Breakfast. “Have him jumping at times if he wants to ride those deliveries – ducking, weaving, or bending backward.

Healy wants a short-leg fielder to be placed for Virat, especially during the early part of his stay in the crease.

“Get that short leg position right next to him on the leg side and if you need a bumper, it’s got to go at the badge. He might try to bust out of a hard spell with a hook shot or pull shot and that will be hard to control if it’s badge height.”

“The first matchup I’m looking at is how our quicks can bowl to Virat Kohli, and I think they should target his front pad quite often,” he said.

Healy feels there would be signs of insecurity in Kohli’s game, owing to the lack of form his displayed against New Zealand in the recently-concluded series. He wants Australian pacers to expose that.

“He sits that front foot there and he can play from anywhere – he can play square on the off-side, he can whip onto the leg-side or he can rock back … but they’ve got to look for any sort of insecurity in his form and maybe target that front pad.

“But don’t do it every ball because he’ll get used to it … it’s the impact ball that has to be on the front pad after he is set up with seam.”