Rohit Sharma's Mixed Emotions on Rishabh Pant's Performance in Melbourne Test

India's captain Rohit Sharma expressed mixed feelings about Rishabh Pant's batting strategy after his dismissal in the Melbourne Test against Australia. Sharma emphasized the need for Pant to balance his attacking style with situational awareness, especially as India's hopes in the World Test Championship fade.

India's skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday shared his mixed feelings regarding Rishabh Pant's dismissal during the first innings at the Melbourne Test. Pant's approach, characterized by aggression, challenged Australia's bowling with a 28-run contribution before succumbing to a Scott Boland delivery. Australia's 184-run win at Melbourne has further weakened India's quest for a spot in the World Test Championship Final at Lord's.

Pant, known for his vigorous batting style, tried to scoop Boland's full-length delivery, resulting in a catch by spinner Nathan Lyon. Reflecting on this at the post-match conference, Sharma stated that Pant has historically brought success to the team, yet necessitates understanding when to adjust his game to suit differing situations on the field.

As captain, Sharma acknowledged these strategic conversations are complex, given Pant's success with aggressive tactics. In the second innings, Pant's 30-run stint stalled at a low strike rate of 28.85 before falling to Travis Head's bowling. Australia's fiery performance left India short of the 340-run target, concluding the match with India all out at 155.

(With inputs from agencies.)