5 Reasons why Rishabh Pant should be given a chance against England

Semi Final 1 - ICC Under 19 World Cup
Semi Final 1 - ICC Under 19 World Cup

Indian batsmen except Virat Kohli failed miserably in the first Test. They need to make certain changes in their batting lineup ahead of the second Test. They need to Test the youngsters as seniors are not able to perform as per the expectations. They also need to make a change in the wicket-keeping department. Wriddhiman Saha was injured ahead of England series.

So, Rishabh pant was selected in the team as the second wicketkeeper after Dinesh Karthik. The team management showed that they have moved on from Parthiv Patel and now they want to Test the new young talents of India which is a good thing. Indian team gave chance to Dinesh Karthik in the first Test and he failed miserably in all departments in that Test.

Karthik dropped many catches, he also struggled with his batting. Karthik has a habit of failing on all the opportunities he gets. It's time for Indian team management to show some faith in youngsters like Rishabh Pant to show them their potential. India needs to invest in such youngsters so that they can give the country a bright future in Test cricket.

Here are five reasons why Pant should be chance in the second Test against England.


1. Chances should be given to youngsters

England Lions v India A - Day Three
England Lions v India A - Day Three

India should give more chances to youngsters. India is facing a deep crisis in the middle order in all formats. Players like Rishabh Pant have shown that they have the ability to take the challenge to play at the top level. India needs to show faith in such players and encourage them when they show initial failures.

Both Saha and Karthik have hit the age of 33, you seriously do not know how long they will play for India. So, it is high time that team management gets serious about investing in youngsters. They will fail initially but it would be a good future prospect for the team.

Even Quinton de Kock was given chance very early and it turned out to be fruitful for their team. Rishabh Pant has shown that he has what it takes to perform in international cricket. He is also a good learner as he has improved his game by learning from his seniors and coaches.

2. Good Form

England Lions v India A - Day Four
England Lions v India A - Day Four

Rishabh Pant is in very good form lately. He recently played fantastically against England Lions. He won India A tri-series tournament against England Lions by playing a crucial 64 not out in the final which helped to chase the target. He was also brilliant in the unofficial Test against England Lions, he scored two fifties in two innings.

In the unofficial Test against West Indies A, he scored the crucial late 67 which resulted in India win by 5 wickets. Rishabh Pant rediscovered himself in this year's IPL. He scored thunderous 684 runs in 14 innings at an attacking strike rate of 173.60. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pant played a historical knock of 128* of just 63 balls which helped Delhi put up a good total of 187 on the board.

Pant also hit the most sixes and fours in this IPL season, with the count being 37 sixes and 68 fours. Pant was also the highest run scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy this year. He played with responsibility and composure in the middle order. He showed everyone that he knows how to build a proper innings and later accelerate according to the need.

3. Good Wicketkeeping

England Lions v India A - Day Four
England Lions v India A - Day Four

Rishabh Pant has shown some good wicket-keeping skills in domestic as well as India A tournaments. He was phenomenal against England Lions and took 10 catches behind the wicket. Rishabh Pant is a better keeper than Dinesh Karthik and has shown tremendous improvements lately. If team management shows some faith in him, he will surely repay their trust and give India some good performances.

There is a big problem with Karthik's wicketkeeping, he drops catches and has a habit to interfere in other's catches. Pant is not going to show a magical performance in his first Test as they are being played in England's tough conditions but if he is given proper chances he will surely make it count.

4. Shown temperament and ability to build innings

England Lions v India A - Day Four
England Lions v India A - Day Four

Rishabh Pant has improved a lot lately. He has changed his temperament to play the game. In an interview, Pant himself said that now he is more concerned about building an inning rather than hitting maximum sixes. In the unofficial Test against England Lions Pant played two kinds of innings. In the first inning, Pant scored 58 runs in 111 balls and he stayed on the crease for 151 minutes when other batsmen just threw their wickets.

In the second inning, he showed an attacking mindset, he scored 61 runs in 71 balls. This shows Pant has the ability to bat according to the situation. Here we should also concentrate on the fact that he faced bowlers like James Porter, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran in that match.

5. Has the backing of India A coach Rahul Dravid

England Lions v India A - Day Four
England Lions v India A - Day Four

Rahul Dravid has recently said that Pant is ready for the next level. There was a huge doubt about Pant's skills and temperament for Test cricket. Rahul Dravid is the most serious and sincere man in the Indian cricket. So when he says Pant is ready, he should definitely be given chance in the international cricket.

Dravid is not known for making a bizarre statement, he analyses a player and then jumps to a serious conclusion. Dravid is also India A coach so his suggestion should be taken seriously by team management.

India has given lots of chances to senior players and they are not able to deliver the performances India needs for international cricket. So, it is important that now they give proper chances to youngsters and show some faith in them.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian
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