Rishabh Pant Played The Biggest Role In India Reaching The WTC Final: Saba Karim

Former Indian stumper Saba Karim has heaped high praise of the 23-year-old swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, stating that the southpaw played the biggest role in helping Team India reach the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final.

Rishabh Pant’s campaign in the World Test Championship cycle was a tale of two extremely contrasting halves. During the first half of the WTC cycle, Pant grappled with poor form both in front and behind the wickets and he even lost his place to Wriddhiman Saha for the 2019/20 home season.

Pant was overlooked from the first Test against Australia last winter and it was only after India was dismissed for 36 at the Adelaide Oval that the Delhi cricketer was drafted back into the line-up.

And since then, Rishabh Pant hasn’t put one step wrong. The talented young cricketer proceeded to play match-defining as well as series-defining knocks throughout the course of the seven Tests against Australia and England to help India claim the WTC final spot alongside New Zealand.

Pant smashed a whirlwind 97 in the fourth inning of the Sydney Test and he backed it up with a match-winning 89* on the final day of the Gabba Test to help India clinch a historic series.

The southpaw continued his form against England as he smashed a couple of half-centuries before backing it up with a brilliantly calculated ton in the final Test; his first on home soil.

Saba Karim said that it is only because of Rishabh Pant’s immense potential with the bat that allows Virat Kohli to play with five bowlers and he feels that the enigmatic southpaw will have a major role to play during the upcoming WTC final and the five-match Test series during the English summer.

”I feel the World Test Championship final that is going to happen and after that the five-Test matches in England, Rishabh Pant will have to play a huge role in that. We should not forget that Rishabh Pant has played a huge role in India reaching the World Test Championship final. If you ask me, I will say that in the entire Indian Test team, Rishabh Pant has had the biggest role in India reaching this stage, both as a batsman and with the wicketkeeping gloves,” Saba Karim said discussion on India News.

”Since the time Rishabh Pant has made his entry in the Indian Test team, the combination has become very good. Only because of Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli goes into the ground with five bowlers. He knows that he has a reliable batsman like Rishabh Pant, who can come at No.6, bat at a fast pace and play match-winning knocks.” he added.

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