Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is going through a bad patch in his Test career. In the ongoing five-match series against England, Pant hasn’t been able to impress at all with his batting.
The Delhi-lad has only scored 96 runs in six innings at a dreadful average of 16. No wonder, Pant has been criticized from all corners, especially for his reckless shots and over-aggressive approach. However, his aggressive nature of batting has done miracles for him in the recent past, but that is just not happening on England pitches.
His performance against Australia Down Under and England at home were truly incredible. Against Aussies, the left-handed batter scored 274 runs at a remarkable average of 68.50 in five innings, while against England, Pant made 270 runs in six innings.
After such sensational batting performances, several fans and experts had compared Pant to Australia’s legendary wicketkeeper-batter, Adam Gilchrist. But, former Pakistan opener Salman Butt thinks otherwise.
Butt urged fans not to compare Gilchrist with Pant, who only has 2-3 years of experience under his belt. Butt opined that Gilchrist was a true match-winner and dominated world-class bowlers, while Pant is still far to reach that stage.
“Please don’t compare a player (Rishabh Pant) with 2-3 years experience with a world-class player like Adam Gilchrist. Gilchrist was outright match-winner. He used to dominate world-class bowlers during his time. Now, only a few top-class pacers are there, and Pant has played only a few good knocks so far,” said Butt on his YouTube channel.
The 36-year-old felt Pant is not even half of Gilchrist as the Aussie legend was a completely different batsman. Butt suggested that Pant doesn’t have a plan B which is a necessity in cricket.
“Gilchrist was a big imposing figure, and Pant is not even half of Gilchrist. Gilly was a different kind of batsman altogether. Pant has to make some changes to his current technique and make some mental adjustments in Test cricket. He has to set in the crease before going for shots. He doesn’t have plan B, which is very necessary on pitches like England,” added Butt.
