He Must Spend More Time In The Middle And Not Just Look To Hit Every Ball - Kapil Dev's Advice To Rishabh Pant For Test Tour Of England

Former India captain Kapil Dev has a piece of advice for Rishabh Pant as the youngster embarks on the tour of the UK. The Indian team is scheduled to leave on June 2 for the six-Test assignment – the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, which begins on June 18 in Southampton, followed by a five-Test series against the hosts, England.

Rishabh Pant has cemented his place as the first-choice keeper-batsman following his heroics in Australia and then continued the form in the home England Tests.

However, Kapil Dev feels that the left-hander should make a little adjustment in his playing style. The legendary all-rounder advises Pant to eschew his attacking instincts for some time and take his time in the middle to settle down, as the ball moves significantly in England compared to most other parts of the world, before going hammer and tongs against the bowlers.

“He looks a very mature cricketer now from the time he came into the side. He seems to have far more time to play his shots and obviously his range of strokes is awesome. But England will be challenging.

“He must spend more time in the middle and not just look to hit every ball. We used to say the same about Rohit Sharma, who had so many shots, but would step out and get out so many times,” Kapil Dev told Mid-Day.

“Same is with Rishabh now. He is an exciting player and very valuable too. All I would tell him is take time before unfolding his range of shots. England is different,” he added.

I am a big fan of Test cricket, there is nothing like Test cricket: Kapil Dev

The 62-year old speaks about his love and passion for Test cricket. With the advent of T20 cricket, the game has changed significantly, on and off the field. However, the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper continues to be a huge fan of the longest format, irrespective of the heights the shortest format has reached.

“Of course. I am a big fan of Test cricket. I love watching the full day’s play. If work keeps me away from the TV, I catch up with the highlights. I always watch as much as I can. There is nothing like Test cricket,” the former skipper stated.

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