Rishabh Pant Will Give You Chances; We Have To Be Ready To Take Those: Joe Root

As India and England gearing up to resume their battle in the third Test in Ahmedabad, one of Joe Root’s focus is on India’s keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant has played an instrumental role in India’s success in the Test arena in the last few Tests while also brushing up his glovework. Joe Root labelled Pant as a game-changer; hence, they need to dismiss him as early as possible.

Rishabh Pant carried his from Australia’s tour to the home series against England as he played a couple of counter-attacking innings. He struck 91 in no time in the first innings of the opening Test and scored another crucial fifty in first innings of the second match. It ushered the hosts to a total that proved a bridge too far for England and led India to victory.

Pant’s performance behind the stumps was also an improved one. He kept expertly to Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Axar Patel – all of who gained drastic turn from the pitch. The 23-year old also took two extraordinary catches off Mohammed Siraj’s and Ishant Sharma’s bowling in the second Test. Hence, he has become an indispensable member of India’s Test team.

Rishabh is extremely talented and he has got a great game: Joe Root

Joe Root claimed that Rishabh Pant is a fine player and his shots make the bowlers challenging to settle and keep quiet. The Yorkshire batsman believes that England has to make it difficult to take their bowlers on and find ways to dismiss Pant. Simultaneously, Root believes that the southpaw gives chances and it is on them to take those.

“He (Pant) is a fine player and plays some extraordinary shots. He makes it very difficult for some bowlers to bowl at him. But more than anything, (it is on us as to) can we keep him quiet and can we make it difficult for him to really take us on and find ways of either getting him off the strike or get him out. Rishabh is extremely talented and he has got a great game but he will give you a chance and we just got to be ready to take that when it comes,” Root said in a virtual press-conference.

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