Rishabh Pant has talent, he has a presence when out in the middle and he also has the penchant to be a match-winner. However, in his short career so far, the young man has shown a rather flat temperament and few of his strokes which have seen him throw his wicket away have been entirely uncalled for.
The Indian management wants to give Pant a long rope and they will continue to back him. But the young man should now realise that he has to get things back under control. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who knew a lot about counter-attack and being on the offensive, wants the wicket-keeper to work on his game and get batter. He also asked the management to utilise him well and groom him for challenges at hand.
"Pant is an extremely talented cricketer with huge potential. It will be important that he is groomed well," Sehwag told PTI.
'Makes the best use of the opportunity'
"And now that he has been assured some quality time in the team it is important that he makes the best use of the opportunity and works to better his game and develop as a cricketer," he further added.
In the first Test match, Pant had an opportunity to showcase his talent, but he couldn't grasp the opportunity. Barring the one innings in the final T20I, the left-hander has only flattered to deceive.
The selectors have already gone on record saying that Pant was their primary wicket-keeper and captain Virat Kohli is very excited with the talent at his disposal.
"It is about giving him a bit more space and ease himself into international cricket and not put too much pressure. In international cricket, you need to tackle pressure differently. He has come a long way since he started. If he plays like this regularly, we will see his potential shine for India," the India captain had said about Pant.
There is Wriddhiman Saha in the Test squad, but the Indian selectors will stick with Pant and the young man must make the most of these chances on offer. The skipper also said that they were looking at Pant as one for the future since he has the talent and skill. Now, he needs to start winning and finishing off games which will help him settle down in the role.
