Former India player Ajay Jadeja said that Rishabh Pant’s batting ahead of KL Rahul in India’s both innings of the first Test against Bangladesh showed that the southpaw has sealed his place at No. 5. He also praised Pant’s aggressive approach towards the end of the second day’s play. However, Pant scored an unbeaten 12 off 13 deliveries as India ended Day 2 at 81/3 in their second innings in Chennai on Friday, September 20.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Jadeja said, “It is a massive decision because KL Rahul is a pure batter. You can understand in one innings because you wanted to make an impact. However, if you do it consistently and at this stage as well, when only six to eight minutes were left, if he only came out to bat, it’s now clear that he will only play at No. 5. The other batters who will come might get shifted up and down the order. I liked his approach. Maybe not conventional style because only 10 minutes were left and you had just come to bat but he is not a conventional player at all. That is why he is special.”
However, Rishabh Pant joined Shubman Gill in the middle after Virat Kohli’s dismissal. He hit a four and a six off consecutive deliveries
against Shakib Al Hasan and played an attacking shot for a single-off Hasan Mahmud’s bowling on the penultimate ball of the day as well. While saying that he might have questioned Rishabh Pant’s approach had he been dismissed, Ajay Jadeja stated that Pant’s swashbuckling style makes him special.
“If he had gotten out, probably I would have also said that he should have waited a little but if you see the overall picture, if Rishabh Pant is in your team, it’s because he is special. If he is special, expect special things from him, and this was a confirmation of that. If you hit a six at that stage and if your captain thinks differently, you wouldn’t have seen a reaction like that. He would have said – ‘What are you doing?’, as that comes naturally. But the team’s thought process is evident, that everyone will play as they play. His No. 5 spot is sealed and KL Rahul will be sad because of that,” Ajay Jadeja concluded.
