Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has reportedly said that he has not been able to focus on scoring big scores every time he goes out to bat. The 21-year-old cricketer said he would like to get a big score but not been able to do so, IANS reported. He mentioned that he wants to play positive cricket and win matches for India as every match is crucial for his improvement as a cricketer.
"Obviously, as an individual, I would like to have a big score. But every time I go out there in the middle, I am not focusing on that," Pant told reporters. "I just want to play positive cricket and win matches for the team. Every match is crucial for me. I want to keep on improving as a cricketer," he added.
How much time does Pant need to perform?
The youngster has been criticised by cricket fans all over the world for his performances in the recent past. The questions that have come up are how many chances does he need and why is he so irresponsible. The 21-year-old has been blamed for throwing away his wickets playing unnecessary shots and showing lack of maturity when the team needs him.
But in the final T20 international match against West Indies, he guided India home along with captain Kohli. The problem is that he is not consistent and he needs to have a much more mature approach towards building his innings and shaping it according to the situations. Moreover, as the Delhi-based lad is going to fill in the shoes of legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India's first-choice wicket-keeper, expectations are already high. That is probably creating a lot of pressure on the youngster. So, he needs time to settle down.
On being asked about the environment in the dressing room, Pant said that everybody is focused on the upcoming match and they want to end the series on a high by winning it.
"Everyone is calm in the dressing room. We are just focusing on the match. We need to win the final ODI and end the series on a high," Pant said as quoted by IANS. "We are not experimenting (with the middle order). We are just giving chance to everyone whosoever is in the team," he further added.
Team India beat West Indies by 59 runs in the rain-interrupted second ODI of the three-match series to give India a 1-0 lead. India put up a target of 280 runs for the loss of seven wickets at the end of their 50 overs. In reply, West Indies got bundled out for 210 runs after Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up four wickets to give India an unassailable lead in the series. Mohammad Shami and Kuldeep Yadav also chipped in with the ball whereas Kohli topped the batting chart with another century to his name.
India will face West Indies for the final ODI fixture on August 14 at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
