Rishabh Pant not a finished product yet for Test cricket, says Deep Dasgupta

Former India cricketer turned commentator Deep Dasgupta believes Rishabh Pant is not yet a finished product, especially when it comes to Test cricket. While Pant has shown that he can bludgeon the ball regardless of the format, the bowler and the venue, the youngster’s wicketkeeping technique has come under the scanner.

The 21-year-old made his debut in the whites in the third Test against England earlier this year and has represented India in four Tests so far. He’s already got a century and fell eight runs short of a second consecutive hundred in Rajkot two days ago. However, his performance behind the stumps hasn’t been up to the mark. Pant conceded over 70 byes in the series against England, and several former wicketkeepers criticized his footwork when keeping wickets.

While commentating for radio, former India keeper Syed Kirmani admitted that the youngster needs to keep his basics right if he wants to be a regular feature in the national side. Meanwhile, Deep Dasgupta and Ajay Ratra believe Pant still needs some time to be completely ready for Test cricket.

Need to give him time

“He is not a finished product yet. He is just 21 and has played Ranji Trophy for two years, so you will have to give him a bit more time to get settled. Keeping against spinners on Indian surfaces is always a daunting task and it can’t get more challenging than this. You need to pick things up from here,” Dasgupta said while speaking to Sportstar.

While Dasgupta is certain that Rishabh Pant is an exciting prospect as far as the batting is concerned, he said that the youngster still needs to do a bit of fine-tuning to overcome the odds. “Rishabh is young, so it is important that he is properly guided and is given the time. You cannot afford to just pick him suddenly and drop him after a few matches. If you are looking at the longer run, then you have to be patient with him,” he added.

Likewise, Ajay Ratra, a former India keeper who has watched Pant closely at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), feels that young Pant needs to cope with the pressure. “He is a very talented batsman. Scoring tons in England is tough, but he could play at ease. But, as far as keeping is concerned, it needs a bit of refining,” Ratra said.

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