Rohit Sharma’s decision to drop the imperious wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for the high-profile clash against Pakistan raised a whole host of eyebrows. Former Indian cricketers Wasim Jaffer and Deep Dasgupta gave their views on the Indian skipper’s contentious decision to drop Rishabh Pant in favor of veteran Dinesh Karthik.
Analyzing the game on ‘BatBricks7 Presents Run Ki Runneeti show’ on CricTracker, former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta had mixed feelings about the decision. Although he was a bit disappointed to not have Pant in the starting XI, he backed India’s tactics of playing Dinesh Kartik in a specific role and sticking to that plan.
“See for me, DK’s role is more specific in the team, whereas, Rishabh Pant is more of a floater. They have identified that role for DK and have stuck to it. I might disagree with the whole thing (Pant’s omission), but I also agree with the fact that the team have a set plan and have stuck to it,” Deep Dasgupta said on CricTracker’s show.
Wasim Jaffer analyses Rishabh Pant’s axing
Wasim Jaffer, who is also part of the expert panel on CricTracker, backed India’s decision to play Dinesh Karthik ahead of Pant as the latter has failed to carry his imperious touch from the longer formats to the T20Is. But the former Indian opener felt that a lack of left-handed batting option in the team can come back to haunt them against left-arm spinners.
“I think it is a tough call. As far as talking about Test cricket and ODIs, he (Pant) is irreplaceable, the kind of knocks he has played recently is just mind-boggling. But the same form hasn’t been there in the T20Is, even in the IPL. But DK, since IPL, has done magnificently in his specified role. The only drawback is that you know, we haven’t got a left-hander in that line-up apart from Jadeja. That is the only thing for me,” Jaffer said when asked about Pant’s omission from the Indian team for the epic clash against Pakistan.
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