Rishabh Pant’s performances in England has shown that he has figured out how to balance his attacking approach with the pragmatism that is required at times when batting in Test cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has said. Tendulkar took special note of the paddle sweep shot that Pant tends to play and fall over in the process.
Tendulkar says that despite ending up flat on the ground, Pant has never gone off balance while playing the shot and the fall is intentional. “The sweep shot that he played, he likes to get under the ball to scoop it with some elevation,” Tendulkar said on Reddit. “People think he has fallen, but it is intentional so that he can get under the ball. The secret to play those shots is to be able to get under the ball. So it’s a planned fall, he doesn’t go off-balance. All that depends on the length of the ball.”
Pant had famously come under criticism for his performance in Australia in the 2024/25 tour, notably when Sunil Gavaskar went on a tirade on commentary after his dismissal in the fourth Test at the MCG in December. In England, though, Pant was back to his prolific best, scoring two centuries in the first Test and a three half-centuries after that. He scored the last of those despite batting with a broken toe.
“There were occasions where people felt he doesn’t have to play that shot, it’s not the right time, but someone like Rishabh should be left alone. But when he’s looking to save a match, he has to have a different approach, like in the last 15-20 overs of a match. But he has figured out [how to approach an innings] depending on the match situation,” said Tendulkar.
‘Gill seemed to be in control of the team and of the game’
Tendulkar also said hailed Shubman Gill for his performance with the bat and as captain. “All in all, a fantastic result. 2-2, things could’ve been different but there are no ifs and buts in cricket,” said Tendulkar in a video on Reddit. The series, which was the first to have a trophy partially named after Tendulkar, is now being widely rated as among the greatest of the century.
“Captaincy has a lot to do with how the bowlers are bowling, how disciplined they are and how long they can persist with their plans,” said Tendulkar. “Sometimes what happens is that if things are not going the bowlers’ way, they start experimenting. That is when the captain feels that the fielders he has on the ground is not enough, he needs more, because runs will be coming from everywhere.
“He still looked calm and composed but when partnerships happen, it becomes difficult for any captain and the priority becomes to dry their runs.” Tendulkar said that overall, Gill seemed to be controlling his team and the game pretty well. “Overall I felt he controlled the team well. There were areas things could’ve been different but, everyone has their opinion. This was his first series and possibly against the most attacking side in Test cricket. I don’t think any other team bats the way this England side does,” he said.
