Since his debut, Rishabh Pant has dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world: Ricky Ponting

The young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant didn’t have the best of times on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test of the four-match series against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground. Questions have often been raised on Pant’s keeping abilities and the cricketer again failed to justify his place in India’s Playing XI as the first-choice wicketkeeper.

Rishabh Pant’s horrific performance behind the stumps gave two lifelines to Australia’s debutant opening batsman Will Pucovski. In the last ball of the 22nd over of the opening day’s play, Pant couldn’t hold on to a sharp chance off Ravi Ashwin’s bowling. Will got an outside edge in a full length delivery by Ashwin but much to the agony of the visitors, Pant dropped an easy catch.

This was followed by the youngster dropping Pucovski again three overs later but this time off fast bowler Mohammed Siraj. Pucovski had played a bad shot on the last ball of the 26th over and the visitors were confident of sending the opener back to the pavilion but Rishabh Pant again failed to get hold of the ball. Riding his luck, the debutant went on to play a decent knock of 62 runs.

Ricky Ponting opines of Rishabh Pant’s keeping skills

These blunders by Rishabh Pant invited criticism from all over the cricket fraternity and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting also opined on the same saying that the youngster needs to do some serious practice on his keeping as he has dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world.

Ponting, who is the head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) and has closely worked with Pant there, stated that the wicket-keeper will always be under scrutiny for his poor job behind the wickets. “I’m sure when Rishabh put those catches down, he would have thought the worst and ‘here we go, he’s really going to make me pay’ but (Pucovski) didn’t today.

“I’ve said it all along, the knock on Rishabh is always going to be on his keeping. Since his debut in Test cricket, he’s dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world. That highlights he has got some work to do with his keeping,” Ponting said as quoted by cricket.au.com.