"Please don't go down that route" - Aakash Chopra on a potential change in India's playing XI for BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Aakash Chopra has questioned whether Team India are considering dropping Rishabh Pant for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 fifth Test. He requested the visitors not to take that call as the wicketkeeper-batter has been performing decently.

India head into the final Test of the five-match series against Australia, starting in Sydney on Friday (January 3), after a 184-run loss in Melbourne. Many experts criticized Pant's shot selection leading to his dismissals in both innings of the Boxing Day Test.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator urged the Indian think tank not to bring in Shubman Gill at Pant's expense and get KL Rahul to keep wickets.

"Have the Indian team started thinking that they can drop Rishabh Pant, that they can get Rahul to keep and play Shubman Gill as well? Please don't go down that route because you are not addressing the problem and focusing on the rest of the things," he said.

Chopra pointed out that Pant has looked a better batter than Rohit Sharma and has done well behind the wickets.

"I agree Rishabh Pant hasn't scored too many runs but, honestly speaking, he is looking better than the captain while playing, and he is a decent keeper as well. He has come with a very good reputation and has scored runs this season. He is not somebody who is unable to play at all. So don't leave him out," he observed.

Rishabh Pant has aggregated 154 runs at an average of 22.00 in seven innings in BGT 2024-25. He has been quite safe behind the wickets, accounting for 23 dismissals in eight innings.

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"You can go after him if he has not scored runs" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has a top score of 37 in BGT 2024-25. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Rishabh Pant's methods should only be questioned if he is not among the runs.

"Everyone's playing style is different. I believe two things are non-negotiable. One is how the pitch is playing and secondly, what is the state of the game. You cannot ignore these things. If your playing style harms that, your class will be taken. Since Rishabh Pant is spoken about, you can go after him if he has not scored runs," he said.

The former India opener added that the swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter is unlikely to change his approach.

"However, his way of getting out will remain like this because he scores runs like that only. Whoever lives by the sword, dies by the sword. He has created history because of this swordsmanship. You need to ask questions when he doesn't score runs for a longer period of time. However, you will get this only from Rishabh Pant whether you like it or not," Chopra observed.

Rishabh Pant lost his wicket while attempting extravagant shots in both innings of the Melbourne Test. While former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar lambasted him for his shot selection in the first innings, his second-innings dismissal changed the course of the game.