Rishabh Pant has been victim to a lot of criticism in the past for his sloppy wicketkeeping and reckless ways of getting out. He has been constantly compared to the legend MS Dhoni ever since he took on keeping duties for team India. However, the southpaw silenced all his critics with sensational batting performances down under. The left-handed Indian batsman has been garnering praise from all over the world and it includes the former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg.
Pant made a strong case for his inclusion in the ODI and T20I squad after his thrilling innings on the Australian tour. Pant missed out on a well deserving century in Sydney getting out on 97, but he made sure India didn’t lost the game from there on. In the last game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant notched up a match-winning knock of 89 which has left the cricket fans wanting for more.
Brad Hoggs backs Rishabh Pant
Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg is all praise for Pant and firmly believes that this is the perfect time to include the wicketkeeper in the ODI and T20I sides. Pant was not considered as an option for the Australian tour in the limited overs format. His inspired performances on foreign soil might work in his favour to make a comeback. Brad Hogg is of the opinion that Pant should replace Iyer in the side.
“I would be putting him there right now because he has got confidence and belief. He has proven himself with two match-winning knocks in this Test series. You can’t get better than that playing for India on Australian soil. I would put him in place of Iyer. Keep your all-round options there for batting and bowling depth. He will be there for either Sanju Samson or Iyer,” said Brad Hogg on his YouTube channel.
For the uninitiated, team Indian made history by winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against a daunting Australian team. What made this win special was the determination and character of the Indian team which was facing major injury concerns and most of their leading players were out of the scene due to injuries. Even the skipper Virat Kohli had to return to India for his first child’s birth after the first Test match. The newbies proved their mettle on the big stage and rattled the Aussies to clinch India’s greatest series win.
