Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the storied Melbourne Cricket Ground began with Rishabh Pant looking sharp. The keeper-batter concentrated on traditional strokes working in the centre because the surface wasn’t supporting the bowlers. The flamboyant hitter attempted to play a scoop shot against Scott Boland in the 56th over of the match, but he was unable to time it, and it struck his body instead.
Rishabh Pant was not demotivated by that.
He attempted to play the same shot again on the subsequent delivery, but this time he got a top edge, and the ball sailed to Nathan Lyon’s position in the third-man area, where the spinner made a clean catch. Notably, even though Australia has a fielder in the same area, Pant dared to play the shot even though it may have been a six on other grounds around the world since the MCG is difficult to clear.
The team management has allowed the cricket player to do everything he wants, and he has found success playing an unconventional style of cricket. Even though Pant didn’t time the shot in the previous delivery, it is questionable if he had to play it after a strong start.
— Sunil Gavaskar (@gavaskar_theman) December 28, 2024
Sam Konstas, the opener for Australia, failed to play reverse scoop twice in the first innings, but he persisted and eventually succeeded. Pant might have been inspired to try the shot more than once.
India, meanwhile, needed a solid partnership to get the day going, but Pant’s dismissal has put them behind once more. After leaving the pitch after 28 runs, the cricketer from Haridwar was replaced in the middle by Nitish Kumar Reddy. India is in dire need of a long-term partnership, therefore he hopes to establish one with Ravindra Jadeja. Another important player will be Washington Sundar, who bats at number nine.
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