Rishabh Pant came under fire for a careless shot that led to his dismissal on Day 3 of the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pant, who looked in good touch during his 28-run knock, attempted a risky scoop shot off Scott Boland despite Australia having fielders stationed in the deep. The ill-fated attempt resulted in a top edge straight to the fielder, handing Australia a vital breakthrough.

Sunil Gavaskar Calls Out Irresponsible Shot Selection

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar did not hold back his criticism, calling Pant’s shot selection “shocking and terrible.” On commentary, Gavaskar fumed, “With two fielders in the deep, that shot was completely unnecessary. He shouldn’t even think about returning to the dressing room after playing that.”

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid,” Gavaskar reacted in anger while doing commentary. “You’ve got two fielders there and you still go for that (shot). You had missed the previous shot, and look where you’ve been caught. You’ve been caught at deep third-man.”

Lack of Game Awareness Criticized

Gavaskar pointed out the lack of game awareness in Pant’s approach. “This isn’t T20 cricket or a 50-over game where you take such risks. At this stage, India needed a partnership, not reckless cricket. He must understand the responsibility of batting in the middle order,” Gavaskar added.

The former India captain also highlighted Pant’s inconsistent performances in Test cricket. “If this is the only way he thinks he can score runs, he cannot bat at No. 5. His numbers between 20-39 are alarming—13 dismissals out of 18 innings. That’s not good enough for someone batting that high in the order,” he said.

A Crucial Moment for India

Pant’s dismissal came at a critical juncture when India was trying to stabilize their innings in response to Australia’s mammoth 474. Gavaskar noted that this was not the first time Pant had been guilty of throwing away his wicket in a similar fashion. “He has the talent, but he must pair it with maturity if he wants to succeed at this level,” Gavaskar concluded.