"When you are batting in the 90s, it messes with your head" - Dinesh Karthik explains why Rishabh Pant failed to get a hundred in 1st IND vs SL Test

Indian batter and cricket expert Dinesh Karthik sympathized with left-hander Rishabh Pant as the latter fell agonizingly short of a hundred against Sri Lanka.

Pant looked really good for his 96 but was undone by a good delivery from Suranga Lakmal. It went between his bat and pad and clipped the top of the off-stump.

Explaining to Cricbuzz how being in the 90s made Pant nervous, Dinesh Karthik said:

"When you are batting in the 90s, it messes with your head. It always gets to you and you are trying different things when you are in your 90s. You know the board is ticking and a special figure is around the corner."

Nevertheless, Karthik hailed Pant for his fabulous innings. Dissecting exactly how the 24-year-old paced his innings to perfection, he said:

"If you divide Rishabh Pant into two parts, the second part of his innings today will be the brash Rishabh that he likes to be. But the first part of his innings was a tribute to media and all the people who said, 'Rishabh please come and take your time before you play your shots.'"

The world is a hard place right now for Hanuma Vihari: Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was also impressed with the way Hanuma Vihari batted at his new No. 3 position. Vihari scored a well-compiled 58 and repaid the faith shown in him by the team management.

However, Karthik also understands that there will be some kind of mental pressure on Vihari to keep delivering at No. 3 consistently.

On this, he opined:

"For Hanuma Vihari, the world in many ways is a hard place right now because he is playing one format. He is batting at No. 3 and he knows there is limited time. These are the bigger pressures. I think he did a fabulous job and I hope he does something really special. He has all the makings of being a quality No. 3."

India have ended Day 1 strongly at 357-6 and will look to try and bat the visitors out of the first Test.