Manchester: Keeping in mind Rishabh Pant’s familiarity with English conditions, former Indian captain Krish Srikkanth has advocated playing the young wicketkeeper-batsman at the No.4 position.
The 21-year-old Pant has been brought in as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in India’s World Cup squad but is yet to figure in any of the matches.
“If I was involved with the team management, I think I would consider putting a guy like Rishabh Pant in at No.4,” Srikkanth wrote in his column for the ICC. “They have brought him over here now, he is ready to go and, most importantly, he has played in England before so understands the conditions,” added the man who was a member of the Indian team who won the 1983 World Cup.
India will look to continue their winning run when they meet hosts England in their next outing Sunday, and Srikkanth said the situation is ideal for Pant’s inclusion.
“We saw him impress in the Test series here last summer when he came into the side and with England up next, maybe now is a good time to get him in there against a familiar opponent,” Srikkanth stated. “In the middle order Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav have yet to really convince. I think it’s fair to say that their approach needs some fine-tuning.”
Srikkanth felt KL Rahul, entrusted with opening the innings after Shikhar Dhawan’s ouster from the tournament, must convert his starts. “At the top of the order, Rohit Sharma has not fired the last couple of times, and that means KL Rahul needs to do more,” the former opener pointed out.
The former opener said it is imperative that India don’t lose the momentum against England. He was also all praise for skipper Virat Kohli and pacer Mohammed Shami.
“He (Kohli) continues to break new ground. To reach 20,000 runs quicker than any man before him is a fantastic achievement but his true greatness lies in his adaptability,” said Srikkanth.
PTI
