India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant did not change his approach of taking the attack to the opposition in the recently concluded three-Test series against New Zealand. Till the time, Pant was at the crease amidst batting collapse in tricky run chase at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, the fans believed, the dressing room believed. However, Pant's controversial dismissal where the ultraedge may have picked up the noise of bat hitting the pad rather than contact with ball ended India's hopes of winning the third Test. India were bowled out for 121 and lost the Test by 25 runs. Ajaz Patel who was the 'Player of the match' for taking 11 wickets revealed that Pant's presence in the middle scared them.
"When Rishabh Pant is in the crease, everyone is scared," Patel told NDTV. "We targeted Rishabh Pant the most in this series. He doesn't fear when in the middle. He plays his game, no matter what. His philosophy is till the time you are on the crease, you do what you want to, if you get out, no problem."
Pant's numbers in series
Pant scored 64 runs from 57 balls including nine fours and a six. No other Indian batter could score more than 12 runs in the failed run chase. Earlier, in the first innings, he scored 60 runs from 59 balls to help India recover from 84/4.
The 27-year-old finished as the highest run-scorer in the series with 261 runs from six innings at an average of 43.50 including three fifties. In the first Test, he was dismissed for 99 after helping India avoid a defeat by an innings.
Ajaz's advice for struggling Indian batters
The historic series loss affected India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. They face a tough road ahead as their next challenge will be on Australian soil. Patel had a piece of advice for India ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
"Conditions in Australia would be different. If you take this series into Australia, there would not be any benefit. You need to start with a new mindset. You have the some of the best players, some of whom have even played in Australia. There would be pressure but wins and losses are part of the game.
"The important thing is to keep the trust and belief alive. You need to learn to focus on what's next in line and move on from what has happened," the left-arm spinner stated.
