Rishabh Pant got a promotion up the batting order in the final two Tests against Australia and his blockbuster knocks in each Sydney and Brisbane helped India full a dramatic comeback and seal the 4-match series 2-1. First, he hit 97 in Sydney, placing India in with a opportunity for an unlikely win chasing 407. The match in Sydney ended in a draw, as India denied Australia a opportunity to take the lead in the series. Then, at the Gabba, Pant played a more watchful 89* to assist the group full the chase and beat Australia at their fortress.
India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour mentioned that the thought to market the swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman came from typical captain Virat Kohli, just before he left the tour on paternity leave.Rathour was discussing India’s overall performance with the bat in the series with Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel when the off-spinner asked him how he came up with the thought of pushing Pant up the order.”It wasn’t really my call. I can’t take the credit for this. This started after the first Test, that we lost (in Adelaide),” Rathour mentioned.”Sri (Ravi Sridhar) has already spoken about where Virat, Ajinkya (Rahane) and all of us sat together before Virat left,” he mentioned.”So that is where this was discussed, and it actually came from Virat, to be honest,” Rathour told Ashwin.”In case we are playing both the left-handers (Pant and Ravindra Jadeja), it will be a good idea if Pant can be sent at no. 5 so that we can have that left-right combination.””So we debated on this a little further and we discussed this with Ajinkya also,” Rathour mentioned. “I had a discussion that if wickets fall early, will that be a good time to send Pant?””So we discussed that let him be at no. 6. But, in the second innings in Sydney, I said ‘Boss, this is the time he needs to go at no. 5 irrespective of when we lose the wicket, because it was the last innings and we were going for the runs” he mentioned.He also mentioned that Ravi Shastri is a massive believer in the left-correct mixture.”He believed for a long time that Australians don’t bowl well to left-handers, so we need to bring in a leftie somewhere. So, it was discussed and Ajinkya agreed,” Rathour mentioned.He also added that he recommended sending Pant at no.4 in the fourth innings at the Gabba, but sooner or later that did not pan out.Pant completed as India’s highest run-scorer in the series and was the Player of the Match in the series-clinching fourth Test.
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