Rishabh Pant had just hit one of the most audacious shots that we will see in Test cricket. As the ball sailed over the gallery and outside the ground, the camera caught KL Rahul, the non-striker, up close. First, there was surprise. Did he really hit that shot? Rahul’s expression was fascinating. He just couldn’t believe what he had seen, and after a few seconds, he broke into a wry smile as if to say only Rishabh could have done that. He is extraordinary, and it was yet again evidence of his very special ability.
Pant had gone into bat in a great deal of discomfort. And yet, he found comfort in that. For his team and his fans. In the process, he played one of the best counter-attacking innings one could have asked for. The best part of it was the temperament. At no point was he overawed. No bowler could keep him quiet, and it was as if he wasn’t feeling the scoreboard pressure either. It is exactly for this reason that Pant is indispensable. He has been India’s best Test-match batter over the last five years. Time and again, he has played miraculous innings like the one from yesterday. If it’s Jasprit Bumrah with the ball, it has to be Pant with the bat who will be India’s trump card in Australia.
It was soon after Pant’s dismissal that New Zealand got into the game, and gradually too command. In fact, another hour of Pant and the Indian lead could well have been 175, which might have been enough to seal the deal.
On a wicket that was starting to assist the spinners, Pant took them on as if it was just something expected of him. Calculated risks, which aren’t par for any other batter, are the norm for Pant, and that’s why he is special. While many feel he is impulsive, the truth is he also has a very sharp cricket brain. Like he had once said to me, “People think I am crazy and do strange things. The truth is I try to get into the mind of the bowler and understand why he is trying what he is trying. That’s how I play my game.”
India will need Pant at his best in Australia. In conditions that will suit his style of play, he is the pivot who will hold the middle order together. Also, he has an edge over Nathan Lyon, and that could well be decisive Down Under.
For the moment though, all India have is a lead of 107 runs. Pant and Sarfaraz Khan have given the bowlers something to bowl at. And knowing Bumrah, R Ashwn and Ravindra Jadeja, India will push New Zealand. Even with this paltry target to defend. On a wearing wicket, we could still see a morning of intense Test cricket. If that happens, Pant’s six would have got its due.
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