Let Rishabh Pant Play With Freedom: Brad Hogg

Former Australian spinner, Brad Hogg advises Rishabh Pant to continue to play in his aggressive carefree manner, even though he fell three runs short of his century in the third Test against Australia in Sydney.

Chasing a huge target of 407, Pant walked in to bat in the second over of Day 5 at the score of 102/3; he was given a promotion over Hanuma Vihari. After biding time for about an hour – 7 runs from 36 balls – the left-hander smashed Nathan Lyon for a boundary and a maximum. And then he ensued carnage. From 7 of 36, he raced to 97 from 118.

He was in his audacious Pant-esque mood. Pant counter-attacked Lyon, despite the off-spinner turning the ball away from him. The left-hander ladened his innings with 3 sixes – all against Lyon – and 12 boundaries, before mistiming another hit. India managed to eke out a draw, and Pant’s partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara was vital in India keeping the series level.

You live with the sword, you die with the sword: Brad Hogg

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Brad Hogg said that though Pant got out while trying to hit a six, it was the same approach with which he scored those 97 runs. The former leg-spinner points out that Pant was in momentum and wanted to make full use of the last over before the new ball was available. He believes that Pant shouldn’t change his dictum batting with high-risk shots.

In his YouTube video, Brad Hogg said, “Rishabh Pant, the aggressive style. There are some people that say he shouldn’t be playing like that, others say just let him play with freedom. I am on the side ‘let him play with freedom’. Yes, the way that he came out to the crease, he was a little conservative early. He got the pace of the wicket. He was 7 off 36 deliveries. After that, he let sail. In 82 balls, he scored 90 runs for the rest of that innings,”

“He was on 97; people say that he threw it away. But he was in momentum; he was in the groove. Let him go after the bowling, and if it comes off, it comes off. You live with the sword, you die with the sword,” Brad Hogg added.

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