MSK Prasad Advices Rishabh Pant To Relax Like Wriddhiman Saha To Perform Better

After centuries in England and Australia, one would have expected Rishabh Pant to be a regular name in India’s Test playing XI. However, that wasn’t the case, as he gradually fell apart. Speaking of Rishabh Pant, the chief of the selection panel MSK Prasad asked young Rishabh Pant to follow the cool and calm attitude of Wriddhhiman Saha, which would help him to perform better behind the wickets.

Last year, in the absence of Saha, Rishabh Pant achieved quite a few rare records during the overseas series against England and Australia. However, since then, he hardly performed for the team, which made a huge impact. Following a poor show by Pant, the team management preferred Saha, who was fit and doing well behind the stumps.

Rishabh Pant is still a work-in-progress – MSK Prasad

Recently, MSK Prasad stated that the young Rishabh Pant would work with specialist wicket-keeper to improve his skills. And now, the departing selector wants the youngster to follow the footprints of Wriddhiman Saha, who have become the best wicket-keeping option for India since MS Dhoni’s retirement in Test Cricket.

Rishabh Pant lost his place in the Test side during India’s home games against South Africa and Bangladesh to Wriddhiman Saha, purely based on glove-work. MSK Prasad wants the Delhi lad to get better as quickly as possible to get back his position in the Test form of the game.

“See, he is young and is still a work-in-progress. But there is a lot of time ahead for him. Since he got into the Indian side at a young age, he hasn’t played much domestic cricket. That is also one of the reasons,” Prasad added. “I am sure he will come back strong. It’s also good that this has happened early in his career.”

“If you don’t keep well, it affects your batting. And if you don’t get runs, it affects your keeping. Whenever you are under pressure, you stiffen up. Your arms, shoulders, biceps, forearms — everything stiffens up. That’s when the ball starts popping out because of hard hands,” MSK Prasad told Hindustan Times in an interview.

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Further, he expressed his belief in Rishabh Pant learning things in future. MSK Prasad hopes the youngster deserves backing from the team management for his brilliant knocks in overseas’ tours. Pant has smashed centuries in England and Australia – the only Indian cricketer to achieve the landmark.

“If he has that sort of ability, to get Test hundreds in Australia and England, he needs to be backed. He is focusing on playing long innings now, rather than going there and trying to hit every ball that he faces. He will learn with age,” MSK Prasad said.

Well, it would be interesting to see how things would turn out for Rishabh Pant. Though Saha did exceptionally well behind the stumps for India, the batting heroics of Pant in overseas conditions would help him to get the nod ahead of Saha in New Zealand tour. However, ahead of that, he needs to match the skills of Saha behind the stumps.