XtraTime Web Desk: Inexperience of Rishabh Pant came under scanner as he failed to impress against England with his batting on Sunday against England but, India’s Vice Captain Rohit Sharma backed the youngster as he said Pant need more confidence.
Asked if he was surprised to see Rishabh at the critical No. 4 position, Rohit paused before replying sarcastically, “Not really because all you guys wanted Rishabh Pant to play, right. All you guys, right, from India? Where is Rishabh Pant? Where is Rishabh Pant? There he is at Number 4.”
The No. 4 made 32 off 29 balls on his World Cup debut at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Rohit, however, feels that the 21-year old lacks confidence and would do when he doesn’t play under pressure. “He just needs confidence because, obviously, playing his first game, expecting a lot is not right at the moment from him, but he should just come and play and enjoy his cricket. When he does that, he will do well,” he said.
“I think, for someone like him also to come and play, he needs to spend some time in the middle and see what the pitch is doing, get used to the condition as quickly as possible,” he said. “So I think it was the right move for him to come at that number (4) because, again, we know what he can do with the bat.
Rohit was asked if India is still missing the No.4 batsman? Rohit responded by saying, “There is no uncertainty. I mean, I thought we made it very clear at the start that Vijay (Shankar) would play, but before the game he got a toe issue. He got hit on his toe by Jasprit in the net session, so he was not fully fit for this particular game. Again, every team will have one or two or three unsettled players. That is what it is.”
The opener also defended India’s spin duo Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal as he said, “When Kuldeep and Chahal came to bowl, they already got off to a decent start, and they didn’t allow them to settle down, which was, I think, a tactical move from their side against our two spinners.”