50th Test: Pant gets advice from Gambhir on what team expects from “senior player” like him

Ahead of his 50th Test against Afghanistan, a measured Rishabh Pant focused on defensive drills under head coach Gautam Gambhir’s watchful gaze. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed Pant remains a key leader despite losing the vice-captaincy

Mullanpur: The lofted strokes still carry the same thrill, but two days before his landmark 50th Test appearance, Rishabh Pant was seen embracing a different approach.

During India’s training session ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter appeared more measured, both in body language and intent, seemingly heeding the advice of head coach Gautam Gambhir.

---

It is no secret within Indian cricket circles that Gambhir was deeply frustrated by Pant’s reckless shot selection during India’s previous red-ball outing against South Africa in Guwahati. Pant’s dismissal in both innings became a major talking point, drawing criticism at a time when the team expected greater responsibility from one of its senior players.

When Pant was seen negotiating spinners in the nets, his intent was focused on a rock-solid defence, with Gambhir’s hawk-eyes prying from behind the nets. A head-down, copybook front-foot and back-foot defence was on display time and again, though those glorious hits would still occasionally come out of the closet.

Watching Pant, one could gauge that Gambhir must have had some plain talk with the burly man from Roorkee.

“I think he’s committed to playing a good role model and senior player. I actually heard him and Gauti having a chat around that yesterday. ‘How you want to conduct yourself as a senior player’, expanding to the communications or so, how you’re going to play,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said when asked how Pant was adjusting to the recent changes, including his removal from the vice-captaincy.

“I don’t think he needs a formal title to be a leader in an elite setup like this, and I think Rishabh understands that,” ten Doeschate said.

Pant’s game at times treads the fine line between heroism and harakiri, something that earns him love and hate in equal measure. ten Doeschate doesn’t want him to curb his brilliance, but the team management does want him to tone down his impetuosity based on match situations.

“With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does but occasionally if he can adjust his game to play the (match) situations slightly more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on.”

A happy Rishabh Pant off the field is a destructive Rishabh Pant on it. Gambhir knows that, and so does ten Doeschate. Therefore, he reiterated that Pant is in a happy space and even the change in vice-captaincy wouldn’t undermine his place as one of the senior-most players in the team—second only to KL Rahul in this squad.

“He’s been in great spirits again. He’s always one of those guys who’s happy and cheerful and sort of drives the spirit in the team and we’ve got no complaints from him. You wouldn’t notice that his role in the leadership structure has changed, so no concerns about Rishabh, and I can’t wait to see him play again,” ten Doeschate said.