Rishabh Pant makes it very difficult for some bowlers to bowl at him: Joe Root

England and India will lock horns against each other in the pink-ball Test i.e third Test of the four-match series, starting from February 24 at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the marquee game, England skipper Joe Root opined on India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant saying that the youngster is an extraordinary player but the visitors need to keep him quiet in order to ensure a comfortable victory.

Rishabh Pant has been in a stunning form in the Test series against England thus far. He is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament with a whopping 168 runs under his belt from two games and is just behind visiting captain Joe Root (297) and Indian opener Rohit Sharma (205).

Speaking about the power-hitting finisher during the pre-match virtual press-conference on Tuesday, Root said, “He (Pant) is a fine player and plays some extraordinary shots. He makes it very difficult for some bowlers to bowl at him. But more than anything, (it is on us as to) can we keep him quiet and can we make it difficult for him to really take us on and find ways of either getting him off the strike or get him out. Rishabh is extremely talented and he has got a great game but he will give you a chance and we just got to be ready to take that when it comes.”

Joe Root opines on James Anderson and Stuart Broad

England have two world-class Test bowlers on their side in the form of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. However, the visiting team has refrained from picking both the players in the Playing XI in the Test series thus far. While Anderson featured in the first game, Broad got a chance to play in the second Test.

When asked if there is a chance of them playing together in the third Test, Root revealed the two seamers will play in Ahmedabad. He further added that it is a great headache for the team-management and selectors to pick the team when everyone lives up to the expectations. However, at last they have managed to pick a team that can best suit the conditions.

“The records that they (Anderson and Broad) have and the things that they produce, especially in the last couple of years, is the reason why they are up there with the top three bowlers in the world. They are consistently getting better and the older they get, they are using that experience to their advantage. I am sure there will be opportunities where they will get to play together in the near future and much further down the line as well. The records that they set will be very difficult to surpass,” Joe Root concluded.