Indian great Sunil Gavaskar has launched a stunning tirade at Rishabh Pant for a “stupid” dismissal before suggesting the visiting side’s wicketkeeper shouldn’t bother going back into the dressing rooms.
India’s performances with the bat in this series – named after Gavaskar and Australian counterpart Allan Border – have fallen apart since their first Test victory in Perth, with the tourists having failed to make a total of more than 260 across matches in Adelaide and Perth.
With the fourth Test in the balance, the tourists had made their way to 5-191 on Saturday morning at the MCG, still 283 runs behind Australia’s first innings score of 474.
Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, India’s last recognised batsmen with Test centuries to their name, were at the crease trying to chip away at the deficit when a major brain fade took place. On 28, Pant tried to hit Boland over Alex Carey’s head but the ball struck him on the body.
Pant tried to hit Boland’s next delivery over fine leg, falling onto the pitch while playing the shot which was easily caught at third man by Nathan Lyon.
Given the context of the match, the shot was risky in the extreme – and it left Gavaskar flabbergasted.
Rishabh Pant of India looks dejected after being dismissed by Scott Boland at the MCG on Saturday. Credit: Getty Images
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” a fired up Gavaskar said on ABC Radio. “You’ve got two fielders there and you still go for that? You missed the previous shot and look where you’ve been caught. That is throwing away your wicket.
“You cannot say that that’s your natural game. I’m sorry. That is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly. You have to understand the situation as well. He should not be going in that [India’s] dressing room. He should be going in the other dressing room.”
Before the match, Gavaskar had urged Pant to curb his aggressive mindset early in his innings.
“What Rishabh Pant has to do, like everybody else, is respect the first half an hour,” Pant said on Star Sports.
Pant, one of India’s most damaging batsmen with a career average of 44.14 before this series, has made just 124 runs at 20.67 from six innings during this tour.
Former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar. Credit: Getty Images
Former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming was also critical of Pant’s shot and mode of dismissal in commentary for Seven.
“That is crazy,” Fleming said. “We were just talking about the leaders of the Indian team having a big chat this morning. I tell you what, they wouldn’t have been talking about reckless batting like this. He got away with it the previous ball. Nathan Lyon takes a room service catch.”
Another disappointment for India has been Virat Kohli, who despite making an unbeaten second innings hundred in Perth is averaging 32.4 across the series.
Gavaskar was also critical of Kohli earlier in the Test after the Indian star was fined by the match referee for a physical confrontation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas.
“I’m not sure what was the reason [for it] but there really was no need for that. You can play very, very competitive cricket without getting physical,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“We all want to remember Kohli as one of the greatest cricketers ever in the game and not as somebody who was fined … by the ICC. Hopefully he’ll learn from that and not want to repeat this again.”
