'Rishabh Pant doesn’t have the technique to succeed in English conditions' - Salman Butt

Cricketer turned expert Salman Butt has slammed Rishabh Pant for his poor show in Headingley. Pant played some unexplainable shots in India’s second inning and was eventually dismissed for just 2, poking at ball outside the off stump. The former Pakistan cricketer said that Pant does not have the technique to bloom in English conditions. Pant is the fourth-highest run-getter in Tests this year but has failed to get going on the English shores. In the five innings Pant has played so far, the southpaw has only managed 87 runs.

“Rishabh Pant doesn’t have the technique to succeed in English conditions. He cannot just walk down the track to bowlers. He can survive for a while like this or may play one or two good knocks. “But, Rishabh Pant cannot become a successful Test batsman playing this way. He needs to develop some patience and also work on his defensive technique,” Butt said.

Butt said Pant can score runs in India and Australia, where the ball does not seam but in England, where there is a considerable amount of movement, Pant is bound to struggle if he does not rectify the flaws in his batting.

“In India, he can taste success, and Australia as well, because the ball doesn’t swing a lot.

“But wherever the ball swings or seams, Rishabh Pant will find it very difficult to tackle the challenges with the kind of technique he currently possesses,” he added.

India were thrashed by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test. With their backs against the wall, it will be interesting to see how India responds to this humiliation. The fourth Test will be played at the Oval from September 02.