India vs England | Dilip Vengsarkar backs Rishabh Pant to come through at Trent Bridge
Dilip Vengsarkar is of the opinion that Rishabh Pant, if selected ahead of the misfiring Dinesh Karthik, will be a good addition to the Indian team against England at Trent Bridge. Pant was in blistering form during this year’s IPL and has been in good touch for the India ‘A’ team on their UK tour.
Pant, who is still aged 20, has been touted to be a long-term replacement for World Cup winning captain - MS Dhoni in the limited-overs format in the coming years. However, his place in the Test squad is still somewhat of a concern for the young lad as he was behind the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik in the pecking order. However, an injury to the former meant that he would get the nod for the senior team for their five-match Test series against England.
But since the Indian team, especially the batsmen, have failed to put up a decent show against the hosts, former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar backed Rishabh Pant to shine if given a chance in the upcoming third Test at Trent Bridge.
"Rishabh Pant should get in. Apart from Kohli, nobody has shown that they could score runs here. Whether it's English or Australian conditions, you have to adapt quickly. You have to apply yourself and get runs," Vengsarkar was quoted as saying by icc-cricket.com.
Dinesh Karthik, who was the first choice keeper cum batsman for the ongoing series, has had a miserable outing in England so far. In the two Test matches he featured in, he notched up scores of 0, 20, 1 and 0. Sourav Ganguly had also backed Pant’s inclusion in the matchday team ahead of the third Test against Joe Root & Co. Pant, who has been part of India ‘A’ team’s UK tour has recorded a total of 394 runs on English soil which included 5 half-centuries and a highest score of 67 not out. Pant also has a first-class average of 54.50 from 23 matches. Besides, he has scored four
"I think Rishabh Pant has to come into this side as Dinesh Karthik looks woefully out-of-form. I saw him (Karthik) in the nets and he couldn't put bat to ball. I think a left-hander in the side will help the team and Pant isn't scarred by India's losses and he is also capable of changing the course of a game," Ganguly told the official broadcaster after India's humiliating defeat at Lord's.
