Nasser Hussain points out the difference between Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni’s style of batting

Nasser Hussain, the former England skipper, has tried to decipher the difference between Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni’s style of batting. Even as Pant is still finding his feet at the highest level, Dhoni is one of the greatest wicket-keepers India have produced, if not the greatest.

While Dhoni last played for India in July 2019, Pant is currently a part of the ongoing Test series against England. Hussain, who played 96 Tests and 88 ODIs for the Three Lions from 1990 to 2003, was clear cut in saying that both Dhoni and Pant are players of different styles.

Hussain said what while Dhoni used to play aggressive strokes during fag end of his knocks, Pant is someone, who throws his hands at everything right from the word go. The 52-year-old Hussain put forth his opinions in his column for Daily Mail.

Nasser Hussain opines

“Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of his predecessors as India’s wicket-keeper, was a very smart cricketer and that is what he would have done. Dhoni was a different style of a cricketer in that he played the situation, whereas Pant plays a lot more by the seat of his pants — if you excuse the expression. Dhoni went ballistic as the last resort. For Pant, it is the first course of action,” Hussain wrote.

Hussain also lauded Pant for being a game-changer and he said that India won the Brisbane Test against Australia on the back of the left-hander’s batting. In the fourth Test at The Gabba, Pant stayed unbeaten on 89 in the fourth innings, taking India over the line. Hussain also said that the southpaw blends caution with aggression and shouldn’t be confused for a ‘slogger’.

“Rishabh Pant is an incredible, game-changing talent. Arguably, a series-changing talent. If he hadn’t batted in his no-fear style, if he lacked any self-belief, then India would not have won that match in Brisbane last month that completed their greatest ever series victory,” he stated.

“Yesterday, it made for much more exciting viewing to have Pant playing that kind of innings. But don’t confuse him for somebody who simply has a slog. Until his dismissal, he had left deliveries from Dom Bess outside the off stump expertly and very rarely used his feet against him,” Hussain added.