India is about to start a new chapter in its Test cricket life as it commences its new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a high-profile five-match series against England, which begins this Friday. The series is significant not just for WTC points but also heralds the start of an Indian Test cricket transition phase. With veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opting out of the format, a young Indian team comes into the limelight, looking to etch its own niche in the longest format of the game.
Shubman Gill will lead the Test team for the first time, with Rishabh Pant being appointed as the vice-captain for England series. Pant, who is keeping his No. 5 position in the batting line-up, will also now bear additional leadership responsibilities. With his flashy and attacking game, Pant’s style of play has tended to polarize opinion particularly on the 2024/25 tour of Australia, when his rash dismissals in tight situations were roundly criticized by fans and cricket experts in equal measure.
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With increasingly loud calls to balance aggression and game sense better, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has given his verdict on Pant’s development. Tendulkar complimented Pant’s inherent talent and told him to keep believing in his natural instincts, but also highlighted the need to shape his game to suit situations. The batting legend stated that if he was the captain, he’d give Pant the freedom to play his own game—except in games where the team had to graft and play for survival, when he’d expect a bit more composure and discipline from the southpaw.
“He [Pant] should back his instincts most of the time,” Tendulkar said. “But there’ll be situations where he’ll have to curb his game in the interests of the team,” he added, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
“I know that whatever he does the rest of the time will also be in the interest of the team, but the approach might have to be different. He has to have that flexibility in his mind. If there are times when you’re looking to save the game, then he may have to adapt that defensive approach, for let’s say an hour or 45 minutes or sometimes two hours, where he’ll have to just take those risky shots out of the game and not be as aggressive. He could be positive, but the shot selection will come into play.”
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“Nine out of ten times, if I’m the captain, I’ll say, ‘Just go out and play your game, why worry about anything.’ If you’re looking to save the game, that is when the approach changes a bit, but otherwise I would tell him that you go out and be yourself and do what you feel is in the best interest of the team,” said Tendulkar.
