Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned whether Team India are considering dropping Rishabh Pant for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 fifth Test as well. He also requested them not to take that call as Pant has been performing decently. However, India head into the final Test of the five-match series against Australia, starting in Sydney on Friday (January 3), after facing an 184-run loss in Melbourne as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “Have the Indian team started thinking that they can drop Rishabh Pant, that they can get Rahul to keep and play Shubman Gill as well? Please don’t go down that route because you are not addressing the problem and focusing on the rest of the things. I agree Rishabh Pant hasn’t scored too many runs but, honestly speaking, he is looking better than the captain while playing, and he is a decent keeper as well. He has come with a very good reputation and has scored runs this season. He is not somebody who is unable to play at all. So don’t leave him out.”

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In the same video, Aakash Chopra also added that Rishabh Pant’s methods should only be questioned if he is not among the runs as well.

“Everyone’s playing style is different. I believe two things are non-negotiable. One is how the pitch is playing and secondly, what is the state of the game. You cannot ignore these things. If your playing style harms that, your class will be taken. Since Rishabh Pant is spoken about, you can go after him if he has not scored runs. However, his way of getting out will remain like this because he scores runs like that only. Whoever lives by the sword, dies by the sword. He has created history because of this swordsmanship. You need to ask questions when he doesn’t score runs for a longer period of time. However, you will get this only from Rishabh Pant whether you like it or not,” Aakash Chopra concluded.