Former batsman Ian Bell believes that England need to be wary of the threat posed by India wicketkeeping-batsman Rishabh Pant. The left-handed batsman has been in superb form and was hailed as the hero of India's tour of Australia after he scored an unbeaten 89 at Gabba to help India win the 4th Test. In the first innings against England in the first Test, Pant hit a counter-attacking knock of 91 before being dismissed by Dominic Bess.
As the match heads towards the final day, all three results appear possible with India needing 380 more runs to win and England needing 9 wickets. Bell believes that Pant can be really dangerous at the back of an innings if India are able to find a foundation.
Also Read | 'He has started doing that in last 2-3 years': Gavaskar on Ishant's improvement
"As a neutral, Rishabh Pant is amazing to watch. That was just Test cricket. We saw Cheteshwar Pujara doing his own thing in his own way, and Rishabh Pant doing it in his way, which was great. Jack Leach would be sitting there not knowing what to do now when Pant comes in and whether we see Leach bowl to him a lot, I am not so sure in this series," Bell said on ESPNCricinfo.
"I think it is so important for a young player to understand how you are going to go and to have a clear mind. Pant showed an aggressive mindset, clear in his game plan, how he was going to take him down. It was not just reckless hitting, backing himself, picking the right bowlers. Yes, clearing boundary fielders but then rotating the strike along the way," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"I think it is so important for a young player to understand how you are going to go and to have a clear mind. Pant showed an aggressive mindset, clear in his game plan, how he was going to take him down. It was not just reckless hitting, backing himself, picking the right bowlers. Yes, clearing boundary fielders but then rotating the strike along the way," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Will India go for the kill at Chepauk today?
"One thing that worries me from England point of view is that if India get a foundation, and he can come in on the back of good run score, he could be dangerous. That is what worries me in this series. If India got a good foundation, Pant could really hurt England in the back of an innings."
Pant on Monday won the ICC's inaugural Player of the Month award for his superlative performances in the two Tests against Australia in January. Commenting on winning the inaugural award, a delighted Pant said in an ICC release: "For any sportsperson, contributing to a team win is the ultimate reward but such initiatives help motivate youngsters such as myself to do better each time.
"I dedicate this award to every member of Team India that contributed to our victory in Australia and also thank all my fans who voted for me."