Ravichandran Ashwin Commends Rishabh Pant's Stellar Performance Despite Loss

Ashwin Praises Pant's Batting Skills

Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian spinner, has expressed admiration for Rishabh Pant's remarkable achievement of scoring twin centuries at Leeds. Although the match did not conclude in a victory for India, Pant's performance captured the attention of many. During a discussion on Ashwin's YouTube program, "Ash ki baat," he praised Pant while also noting that the young batsman possesses a variety of defensive techniques.

Ashwin emphasized the significance of having Pant in the lower order, especially given the team's struggles to accumulate runs from that position. If he were in the shoes of coach Gautam Gambhir or captain Shubman Gill, Ashwin mentioned he would take Pant aside to commend his batting prowess while encouraging him to adopt a more cautious approach and aim for bigger scores.

"Rishabh had an outstanding performance as a batsman. I want to reiterate that he has an excellent defense. There isn't a shot he can't play. If I were Gautam Gambhir or Shubman Gill, I would take Rishabh aside and say, 'You played brilliantly. I would love to have your batting skills. But can I ask you to aim for a double hundred next time when you're at 130?"

Despite Pant's impressive innings, which included scores of 134 in the first innings and 118 in the second, India ultimately lost the match by five wickets. His contributions, totaling 252 runs at a strike rate exceeding 75, made him a key player under pressure, even as teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul also scored centuries.