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Star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's batting looked a bit restrained on Day 1 of the India versus Australia's fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Rishabh Pant revealed what made him adopt defensive approach while batting on Sydney pitch. Pant stated that the challenging pitch conditions at the SCG did not allow him to play in his usual aggressive style.
After winning the toss, Jasprit Bumrah elected to bat first in Sydney on Friday, January 3rd. Pant entered the crease when India were struggling at 57/3. Looking at the challenging conditions, the southpaw adjusted his approach accordingly. Despite facing several blows from the pacers, he managed to score 40 runs.
Rishabh Pant on his defensive batting in Sydney Test
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rishabh Pant, who had faced criticism for his performance in Melbourne, acknowledged that the pitch conditions at the SCG did not permit him to play aggressively. He further explained that while there were opportunities to take risks, he prioritized a more secure approach.
"I think in this inning, I wasn’t in a frame of mind where I wanted to take charge of the game because the wicket was doing too much and the situation we were in. While playing, I felt like I could play a bit of defensive cricket," Pant said at the press conference after the Day 1 stumps.
"Yes, there’s a time to attack, but you have to feel that from within. I can’t just premeditate how I’m going to play. Whatever the game demands on that day, that’s what I try to do. That was my mindset. I think it’s not very difficult, though the initial part can be challenging when you see a ball you can hit. But sometimes, you have to play more sensible cricket. There might have been 50-50 chances I could have taken early on in this inning," he added.
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Pant also said that he is currently working on finding the right balance between attack and defense.
"I think mostly you want to back the way you've played the game, but eventually, you've got to keep evolving. I feel there isn’t just one way to play cricket. Whatever comes naturally is always better, but you’ve got to find that balance between playing aggressive cricket and being selective with your shots."
"That’s what I’m trying to do - make the most of my style while keeping it simple. Not overthinking is key because when you’re not having the best of tours, overthinking can take over. I just try to keep things straightforward and give my 200% on the field," he concluded.
Talking about the match, Australia dominated the opening day of the grand finale of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 in Sydney, hunting down India for a paltry total of 185 runs.
Scott Boland was Australia's wrecker-in-chief as he picked 4/31 to break India batters' back.
Despite a reshuffle to the batting order, with captain Rohit Sharma opting out of the final Test after a series of poor performances, India suffered a batting collapse, failing to go past 200-run mark for the fifth time in the series.
Meanwhile, while replying to India's lowly total, Australia were placed at 9/1 by the end of Day 1's play.
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