Former Australian wicket-keeper, Adam Gilchrist was known for taking the game away from the opposition in no time either with the bat or the big gloves. Recently, he shared his views on the headache for the Indian team of selecting Rishabh pant or Wriddhiman Saha in the Test team as the former has done a more than decent job in the absence of the latter.
Asked about Rishabh Pant’s wicket-keeping, Gilchrist said, “There is a lot of promise in him. He moves well, has energy. He has dropped a couple of diving catches in the series but they were not due to faulty positioning, they were owing to glovework. Pant has been caught out a few times getting up too early and ahead of the bounce while standing up. He will learn to stay low and rise with the bounce. The only exception to that was M.S. Dhoni. I have hardly seen him practice ‘keeping. He would rather come in and bowl than practice ‘keeping!”
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Talking about Pant’s often belligerent left-handed batting, Gilchrist said, “Pant is exciting to watch, bats without inhibitions. He attacks the bowlers, is flamboyant. As time goes on, he will learn to balance his aggression with defense.”
Gilchrist recons that India had a tough decision to make when Wriddhiman Saha will return from injury. He suggested that the bowling department should take the final call as if they want Saha’s high-quality glovework behind the stumps or the extra runs by Pant. He also pointed out that Saha himself is a very good batsman.
And the Aussie icon considered Tim Paine the best men’s wicket-keeper in the world. When asked about the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy, Gilchrist said that the Indian pace attack had been a big factor in the ongoing series.
He elaborated, “Statistically, they are doing better than the West Indian quicks of the ’80s. It doesn’t mean they are the better than the Caribbean fast bowlers but it certainly says they have been very effective. I think Indian planning has been exceptional. They have been smart, quick to act. Kohli has been good but Pujara has been the difference between the two sides.”
Gilchrist also applauded the India skipper for his brilliance, he feels that when Virat will retire, he would have broken all major batting records.
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Following the ball-tampering episode and the Aussies prefers to be soft on the field. Commenting on that, Gilchrist responded, “It’s actually an awkward situation for the Aussies. If they are aggressive on the field, people will say they are crossing the line again. And if they do not do so, many will say the Australians have become soft.”
The legendary keeper also criticized the way Kohli being booed in the series by the crowd, first in Adelaide and now at the SCG. He said that it’s sad when any cricketer is treated this way.
