Former Australian pacer Damien Fleming criticized Rishabh Pant’s reckless shot selection that led to his dismissal on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test. Damien Fleming said that the Indian team management would likely be frustrated by Rishabh Pant’s shot during such a critical moment in the first innings.
Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja needed to form a strong partnership to stabilize the innings after a collapse towards the end of Day 2 in Melbourne. The pair started well on the third day, but the wicketkeeper-batter’s reckless shot selection led to his downfall, giving Australia an opportunity to dominate.
Rishabh Pant Dismissed Attempting a Scoop Off Scott Boland
The left-hander attempted an unorthodox scoop shot off Scott Boland but was caught by Nathan Lyon at third man. Notably, Pant had tried the same shot earlier and was struck on the body. He repeated the mistake despite the field being set for such a stroke, drawing criticism from fans and experts.
India was reduced to 191-6 in the 56th over after Pant’s dismissal. Pant scored 28 runs off 37 balls and is yet to score over 30 runs in any innings during the tour. Jadeja too perished quickly, leaving the team reliant on the all-rounder duo of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar to prevent a follow-on.
He Got Away with It the Previous Ball – Damien Fleming
Reflecting on Rishabh Pant’s dismissal, Damien Fleming stated that the Indian team management was likely expecting a more responsible approach from him. Fleming noted that Pant had already attempted the same risky shot earlier and narrowly escaped, only to get out on the next ball.
“That is crazy. We were just talking about the leaders of the Indian team having a big chat this morning. I tell you what, they wouldn’t have been talking about reckless batting like this. He got away with it the previous ball. Nathan Lyon takes a room service catch,” Fleming said on Channel Seven during commentary (via The Sydney Morning Herald).
Rishabh Pant has struggled in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, scoring only 124 runs across six innings. He has managed to get starts, but his tendency to play reckless shots has often led to his dismissals. Pant was dismissed by Australia skipper Pat Cummins three times in the series.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Smashes Maiden Test Half-Century in First Innings
Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrated his first-ever Test half-century with the famous ‘Pushpa’ gesture. He reached the milestone in 81 balls. Coming in at number eight, Reddy started cautiously, focusing on settling in before playing his shots. He had scores of 41, 38, 42, 42, and 16 in the first three Tests.
Nitish and Washington Sundar played key roles in helping India avoid the follow-on. They added more than 100 runs for the eighth wicket before the tea break. Nitish became the second Indian batter to score a half-century in the first innings and will be aiming to convert his start into a maiden Test century.
Also read: Rishabh Pant torn to bits by Sunil Gavaskar; ‘Stupidity’ exposed