‘Going to have some conversations with him’ – Rahul Dravid on Rishabh Pant’s shot selection in Johannesburg Test

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid was clear cut in saying that Rishabh Pant needs to curb his natural instincts and be circumspect in order to consistently taste success at the highest level. Even as Dravid accepted that Pant prefers to throw caution to the wind, he also said that the left-hander needs to tone down a wee bit and not get overly carried away with his shot-making.

In India’s second innings of the Johannesburg Test against South Africa, Pant got out while trying to play an audacious stroke off Kagiso Rabada. The southpaw couldn’t connect the first delivery he faced after which Rabada ruffled him with a short-pitched delivery. In the very next ball, Pant ran down the track only to find an edge and give Kyle Verreynne a simple catch.

It is just about the selection of timing to play that way, says Rahul Dravid

“In a sense, we know Rishabh plays positively, and he plays in a particular manner and it has got him a little bit of success. But yeah, of course there are times when we are going to have some conversations with him,” Dravid said in a press conference.

“It is just about the selection of timing to play that way. No one is going to tell Rishabh not to be a positive player or an aggressive player, but sometimes it is just a question about picking and choosing the time to do that. When you just come in, giving yourself a bit more time might be a bit more advisable,” he stated.

Dravid, who took over from Ravi Shastri as the head coach after the T20 World Cup 2021, lauded Pant for being a game-changer, but also put forth the importance of fine-tuning one’s game for becoming a more refined cricketer.

“But in the end, we know what we are getting with Rishabh Pant. He is a really positive player, he is someone who can change the course of the game quickly, so naturally, we won’t take that away from him and ask him to become something different. He is still learning and will hopefully keep improving and get better,” Dravid added.

After winning the Centurion Test by 113 runs, India lost the second Test by seven wickets. With the series level at 1-1-, the teams head to play the third Test, starting January 11 in Cape Town.