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Rishabh Pant‘s impact on Indian Test cricket is beyond dispute. Over the years, the wicketkeeper-batter has built a reputation as one of India’s premier match-winners, producing game-changing knocks in challenging circumstances and often shifting momentum through his attacking style. With eight Test centuries from 50 appearances, Pant has become one of the defining players of his generation in the longest format.His fearless batting philosophy, however, has remained a topic of debate. While that aggressive approach has helped him produce some of the most memorable innings by an Indian batter overseas and at home, it has also led to frustrating dismissals at crucial moments. Pant has frequently thrown away opportunities to convert promising scores into hundreds, particularly after reaching the 80s and 90s, choosing to continue playing high-risk shots rather than adjusting his approach.Although that method has generally worked in his favour, there have been occasions when it has drawn criticism, especially when his wicket has come at a key stage of an innings.A recent example arrived during India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan. Pant looked set for another significant score before being dismissed for 81. While India were firmly in control of the contest and the dismissal had little bearing on the eventual result, former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin later highlighted the innings as another case of the wicketkeeper-batter failing to learn from past mistakes.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin praised Pant’s immense ability but questioned his tendency to lose focus after getting himself into strong positions. The former India spinner suggested that Pant’s repeated dismissals in the 80s and 90s have denied both the player and the team even greater rewards.“You’ve got out so many times in the 80s and 90s. It’s impossible to discover such a great Test batter. But playing such a shot on 80 is mind-boggling. Having come to 80, can’t you play for another 20 runs? He has cost India a few times through baffling shots at the wrong time. As a batter, he has to take that extra responsibility. If he had converted his multiple 80s to 100s, his stats would look unbelievable,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.Ashwin went on to argue that Pant is now experienced enough to place greater emphasis on game awareness and match situations. Having crossed the milestone of 50 Test matches, the former spinner believes Pant must balance his natural attacking instincts with the demands of the situation more consistently.“All batters make mistakes, but the amount of time he does it is disappointing. Especially when so many have told you that it’s a mistake and to still keep doing it, I am not okay with that. He has played more than 50 Tests now. So he needs to start playing the situation for the team on many occasions,” he added.
