Top knocks from Rishabh Pant in Test cricket

At one point, Rishabh Pant was considered a liability behind the stump because of his inconsistency as a batsman. But Pant managed to turn things around and solidify his place in the Indian team as an all-format player.

Although his performance in the short format of cricket is not consistent, his Test career had an impactful start. After 20 matches, he had an average of 45.27 and a strike rate of 71. 47.

Rishabh Pant is the 6th ranked batsman in ICC Test rankings at just 23 years of age. His presence in the batting lineup allows India to play five bowlers without compromising the batting. On many occasions, Pant has played some good knocks to remember. His 2 best knocks in red-ball cricket are as follow

97 vs Australia

In 2021 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Pant set an example of selfless batting in that tour. He focused on going for runs to help India chase the massive targets instead of focusing on personal milestones. In the second innings of that tour, India was chasing a huge target of 407 runs. India had a relatively new opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in that match. When Ajinkya Rahane was knocked out at 102/3, there was no doubt that India would lose that innings.

In that crucial moment, Rishabh Pant was chosen to play at number 5 instead of Hanuma Vihari. While Pujara displayed steely concentration and defense on one end, Rishabh Pant went for a counterattack against the Australian bowlers on the other end. Pant’s knock turned the innings around and gave India some hope of winning the series.

Pant was knocked out at 97 but his contribution with the bat gave India an important chance of securing a win in that series.

159 vs Australia

In 2019 when Pant came to bat for the team at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India was at 329-5. The Indian team was up 2-1 after three games and wanted to ensure that the scoreline remains on the winning side after the fourth game.

At that time, Pant had an inconsistent batting form and registered scored in the 30s. But he formed an important partnership with Pujara and took India to a massive total of 622/7 in that match and registered his personal best score of 159 runs.

The match also featured Kuldeep Yadav’s five-wicket haul and a 193 run knock from Pujara. But Rishabh Pant’s impressive performance with the bat was one of the highlights of that match.

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