‘Rishabh Pant is yet to realise his fullest potential’ - R Ashwin decodes what star cricketer needs to do to get '100 runs in every game

Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant was expected to play a key role during the recent tour of Australia. The 27-year-old though had a tour to forget with just one half-century during the five-match Test series. Pant’s only fifty came during the final innings of the tour, where he registered his half-century off just 29 balls. 

Veteran cricket star R. Ashwin recently, while speaking about Pant on his YouTube channel, said, “He has all the shots—reverse sweep, slog sweep, everything. But the problem with all these shots are high-risk shots. With his defence, he will surely score runs in every game if he faces 200 balls. The point is finding that middle game. if he combines all of it, I am sure he will score 100 in each game.”

The 38-year-old also said, “Rishabh Pant doesn’t get out playing a defensive shot. He’s got one of the best defences in the world. Defence is a challenging aspect of the game, and he has the best defence with soft hands. I have bowled to him, and I can tell you that his defence is perfect. Pant plays a lot of shots and many feel that he has to fight it out in red-ball cricket.”

Ashwin lauds Rishabh Pant’s first innings knock at SCG 

During the course of his live chat on his YouTube channel, Ashwin praised the 40 he scored in the first innings of the SCG Test. The 27-year-old batted for 98 balls to score his 40 and kept the Aussie bowlers at bat. This knock came after Pant played two reckless shots at the MCG, which earned him the wrath of experts and fans alike. 

Ashwin said, “Test cricket is never easy, and you have to fight it out. He played two different knocks in Sydney. He scored 40 runs in the first inning and was hit everywhere. It was the least spoken innings of his and its unfair.”

The veteran bowler also added, "In the second inning, he scored a sensational fifty and was praised by everyone. Everyone forgot what he did in the first innings and praised him for his second knock.”