Parthiv Patel, Aakash Chopra drop shocking verdicts on Rishabh Pant’s reckless batting against South Africa

Rishabh Pant has always been the kind of player who fights back with aggressive shots whenever India is under pressure. That instinct hasn’t changed even when Rishabh Pant is leading the Indian cricket team in the ongoing second and final Test against South Africa in Guwahati.

The explosive left-handed batter first tried to ease the pressure by smashing a six off Simon Harmer’s off-spin, but then he went into cautious mode after Dhruv Jurel lost his wicket. After the tea break, Pant went after Marco Jansen as well. But this time, the stand-in captain’s attacking move backfired.

Rishabh Pant’s aggression backfires again and triggers India’s downfall in Guwahati

Jansen bowled a good-length ball, and Panat charged down the pitch looking for a big hit. Instead of connecting cleanly, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter got a thin edge, and the ball went straight into the hands of wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne on Day 3 in Guwahati.

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Pant walked back for just 7 runs off 8 balls, leaving India in even deeper trouble at 105 for 4. He even ended up wasting a review on his way out. With India already struggling in the innings, Pant’s risky shot only pushed them further into trouble when they needed stability the most.

Even in the first test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India’s test vice-captain tried to play his natural attacking game but ended up getting caught behind on the leg side. Corbin Bosch bowled a sharp bouncer, and Pant could only edge it down the leg side, where wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne completed the catch. The Indian star could make only 27 runs off 24 balls.

In the second innings, South African spinner Simon Harmer bowled a fast yorker at 91 kph, and Pant couldn’t get his bat down in time. The ball hit his pads, and he was given out LBW for just 2 runs. Notably, the ongoing Test series is Pant’s comeback after recovering from a foot injury.

Parthiv Patel and Aakash Chopra slam Rishabh Pant's 'reckless' approach

Reacting to his dismissal in Guwahati, the former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel felt that Pant’s dismissal was nothing new, saying this is the kind of high-risk shot he often plays in Test cricket. He pointed out that sometimes it turns into a brilliant boundary, but other times it leads to Pant’s wicket, and that’s simply the nature of his attacking style.

Parthiv Patel said on Star Sports, “You get to see such shots from Rishabh Pant. Most of the time they are executed, but not here. I am not trying to justify the shot selection, but you see Rishabh Pant getting out like this in Test cricket. We have seen it many times.

He will get out on the 3rd man by reverse scooping. When he jumps and shoots like this, we praise him for having played an amazing shot. But when he gets out, it happens. Because if you are playing high-risk cricket, you will get out like this.”

Read Also: Michael Vaughan strikes back at Wasim Jaffer after Marco Jansen destroys India in Guwahati

Rishabh Pant is a double-edged sword: Aakash Chopra

Meanwhile, the former Indian batter-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra admitted that Pant’s last two dismissals looked “reckless.” He also pointed out that people praise Pant when his risky shots work and question him when they don’t. However, Chopra added that the main issue is that Pant hasn’t scored runs in the ongoing Test series against South Africa at home.

Aakash Chopra said during the same discussion, “Reckless batting. Rishabh Pant is a double-edged sword. If you criticize him now, you will lose the right to praise him. Criticism for Rishabh Pant will always be about the result. What happened? Did he make runs or not?”

Chopra added, “Because if you don't make runs, then there will be criticism. There will be a discussion on that. His method of making runs or his method of getting out. He has not made runs, and this is a problem. But he is coming back from injury.”

What are your thoughts on Rishabh-Panti style of batting? 👇✍🏻

A high risk & high reward approach that has benefited Team India in the past. But is it the way to go every time? 🤔 #INDvSA 2nd Test, Day 3 LIVE NOW 👉https://t.co/Q2ZQvwvqsx@parthiv9 @cricketaakash… pic.twitter.com/AsJ3tUc7gf

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 24, 2025