Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s defensive method after the conclusion of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pant endured an inconsistent collection with the bat, scoring solely 255 runs at a mean of 28.33.
The southpaw scored only one half-century in 9 innings regardless of getting off to stable begins on a number of events. But, Pant showcased his versatility within the remaining Check at Sydney with a 98-ball 40 and a 33-ball 61 within the first and second innings, respectively, on an especially difficult batting wicket.
Talking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin hailed Pant’s defensive expertise and felt his first-inning 40 had unfairly flown below the radar amidst his second-inning onslaught.
“We should realise that Rishabh Pant hardly ever will get out taking part in a defence. He’s received the most effective defences in world cricket. Defence has grow to be a difficult facet, he has the most effective defence with a smooth hand. I’ve bowled to him loads within the nets, he’s not gotten out, he doesn’t get an edge, he doesn’t get LBW, he has the most effective defence. I’ve tried telling it to him. One opinion about Rishabh was that he performs loads of photographs, he has to struggle it out in Check cricket,” he mentioned.
Ashwin added:
“I’ve at all times grown up listening to that you’ve struggle it out. In Sydney, he performed two completely different knocks in a single single sport. He received hit in all places and scored a 40, it will likely be the least spoken innings of Rishabh Pant. It is vitally unfair. Within the second innings, he scored a swashbuckling fifty, incomes him loads of reward. Everybody forgot that first innings and praised him for the second knock.”
Ashwin has performed with Pant in Group India for a number of years and just lately retired halfway by way of the Australian collection.
In the meantime, Pant boasts spectacular Check numbers with nearly 3,000 runs at a mean of over 42 in 43 outings.
“Rishabh Pant is but to understand his fullest potential” – Ravichandran Ashwin
![Pant threw away several starts with rash shots against Australia [Source: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/a6009-17364483593498-1920.jpg)
Ravichandran Ashwin believes Rishabh Pant continues to be to comprehend his full potential with the bat. He known as on the wicketkeeper-batter to work on discovering the best stability between protection and assault.
Regardless of his a number of heroic efforts previously, Pant was closely criticized for his premature dismissals whereas taking part in rash photographs in the course of the Australian collection.
“We’ve got to inform him correctly what he has to do if he has to bat stable or bat with intent. He hasn’t scored loads of runs, however he didn’t play like somebody with out runs. He has loads of time on his arms. Rishabh Pant is but to understand his fullest potential,” mentioned Ashwin.
He concluded:
“He has all of the photographs—reverse sweep, slog sweep, the whole lot—however the issue is that every one these photographs are high-risk photographs. Together with his defence, he will certainly rating runs each sport if he faces 200 balls. The purpose is discovering that center sport. If he combines all of it, he’ll rating 100 runs each sport. He has to seek out that center sport.”
Pant performed an enormous position in India’s back-to-back Check collection wins in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21.
Nonetheless, his sub-par displaying within the latest collection meant India suffered a 1-3 defeat to give up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia.
Edited by Arshit Garg
