WTC Final | Pant could have left the wide ball alone; it was a dangerous shot, opines Nasser Hussain

Rishabh Pant, after his exploits against Australia and England, earlier this year, was expected to play a significant role in the WTC final. However, he walked into the middle in some pretty challenging seam conditions on day three of the encounter and failed to do well with the bat. Pant, who has shown a lot of maturity as a batter in Tests, got out playing a rather loose drive away from the body, which invited heavy criticism for the youngster, who not long ago had taken the world by storm with his aggressive batting in the longer format of the game. 

Speaking on Pant's dismissal, former England skipper Nasser Hussain asserted that he could have left the wide delivery alone. He also added that Pant's technique isn't quite there and it was a dangerous shot to play. 

"I mean he could have done something different. It was a wide ball that he could have left alone. The way Jamieson was smart, from around the wicket, the angles went with Jamieson. If he swings it in, he takes the LBW out of the equation. So, he went over the wicket and there was a review that was just clipping. The technique is not there. He's not moved his foot across and it's a dangerous shot," Hussain told Star Sports, reported HT. 

Rishabh Pant has been an integral part of India's qualification for the WTC finals as he made crucial contributions in Tests against Australia and England respectively. Very well aware of that, the cricket expert also added that Pant is someone who plays his cricket in his own style and one can't sit him down or else, we wouldn't get to see the brilliance of the wicketkeeper-batsman at the top-level.

"You just can't sit Rishabh Pant down and saying why did he do that. He's just not that sort of a cricketer. They have to let him go and let him express himself. He's already won games for India. India possibly might not have been here if it wasn't for some of the great knocks of Rishabh Pant. So you are not going to get the brilliance of Rishabh without the odd shot-making he's played there."

India's team management, in the past, has been guilty of not backing Rishabh Pant. Hussain further added that the role of the team management is going to be crucial in Pant's development as a player.

"So, the management and handling of him is going to be absolutely crucial. The management and the handling of Rishabh Pant going forward is going to be crucial. Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli are the best men to handle him because they are just going to let him be," explained Hussain.