Sydney: Following the end of a disappointing day one of play against Australia during the final Test at Sydney, India's swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant opened up on his more defensive approach to the game during the inning, saying that sometimes one needs to play "sensible cricket" and that the wicket was not helpful for batters and he had to curb his natural game, reported ESPNCricinfo.
India had another disappointing day as a batting unit on day one of the Sydney Test as top-order batters once again threw away their wickets to rash shots. While Scott Boland (4/31) troubled India, Rishabh put up a fight with 40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six. During his knock, Pant faced a lot of body blows.
Speaking about the knock during the post-day presser, Pant said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "I think in this innings I was not in a frame of mind where I wanted to take charge of the game because the wicket was doing too much. And the kind of situation we were in and while playing inside I felt like I could do like play a little bit of defensive cricket. Yes, there is a time to attack but when you have to feel that from inside. I cannot just pre-meditate that I am going to play this way whatever the game asked me to do on that given day that is what I try to do and that was the mindset."
Pant said that it is a bit difficult to prioritise survival over his audacious strokeplay while batting.
"Like there might be 50-50 chance which I could have taken early on in this innings but sometimes you have to play more secure cricket, especially the way [SCG] wicket was behaving we knew that if we get one more wicket here we might lose two-three in a quick succession so that was the idea behind the way I was playing and last match there was nothing much to do the kind of target we had I think I had to play that [defensively] way so I think pretty fine with the way I am playing," said Pant.
In five matches and eight innings so far during this BGT, Pant has scored 194 runs at an average of 24.25, playing at a strike rate of 48.62, with best score of 40.
Pant does not want to curb his natural game fully though, though he acknowledged one has to keep evolving.
"There is, I feel, there is not one way to play cricket but whatever comes more naturally is always better but you have got to find that balance between playing aggressive cricket and having that balance when you play all those shots and that is what I am trying to do," he said.
He said that he is trying to make most out of the way he is playing and trying to keep it simple.
"Just trying to make the most out of whatever the way I am playing and just keep it simple not to overthink because you know when you are not having best of the tours you might overthink too much but I just try to keep it simple and give my 200 per cent on the field and that is the idea about playing cricket for me," he concluded.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries.
However, the fight by Rishabh Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs.
Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37. (ANI)