Image Courtesy- India Today
Former England right-arm off-spinner Graeme Swann has requested Indian cricket fans – “Don’t change Rishabh Pant”- he requested not to be critical about Indian wicket-keeper in the wake of his failure in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand. Graeme Swann also requested everyone to just let the wicketkeeper-batsman play the way he normally does.
Rishabh Pant was out for 4 and 41 in his two innings in Ageas Bowl against New Zealand. Both times he tried to take on the bowling. but was criticized for his aggressive look against Trent Boult on the last day of the Test. Although, Pant was India’s top-scorer in their second innings of the ICC World Test Championship Final against Black Caps.
Graeme Swann believes Pant will be key for India in the middle order when they take on England in the upcoming five-match Test series starting August 4. Therefore, he pleaded Indian cricket fans and the team management to not change the way Indian wicket-keeper plays.
“He is a match-winner. All I want to say to cricket fans in India – don’t fix what isn’t broken. You have some absolute goldmine ready to be unearthed and used well for 10 years. Don’t change Rishabh Pant. Let him fail. Let him be. He is absolutely worth it,” Swann told SportsKeeda.
“India have got an absolute superstar in Rishabh Pant going in at 6 or 7. Just go back one Test match in India’s history. That magnificent century he scored against England (in Ahmedabad) that won them that series. Never forget that.
“It was a counter-attacking innings, played against the grind, playing against the spin a lot of times. It was a brilliant hundred. Had he got in there and ‘played the situation’ and tried to block it, India would not have won that game. It is as simple as that,” Swann added.