'Was he not told that his methods weren't aligned with what team wanted?': Chopra calls Pant's final day tactics 'odd'

Aakash Chopra has said that Rishabh Pant’s attacking approach in India’s second innings in the WTC final had a lot to do with self-belief against the swinging ball or his attempt to do justice to his reputation of being a game-changer.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has said that Rishabh Pant’s attacking approach in India’s second innings in the WTC final against New Zealand had a lot to do with self-belief against the swinging ball or his attempt to do justice to his reputation of being a game-changer.

Rishabh Pant did not back down against the New Zealand bowlers. (Getty Images)

Despite losing wickets at the other end, Pant continued to charge down the track and swing against the New Zealand seamers. Most of the time, the India wicketkeeper-batsman failed to make contact but that did not deter him from sticking to his approach.

"Pant's approach on the final day was either a reflection of his belief (or lack of it) in his skills against the swinging ball, or perhaps he was trapped in the cage of his own reputation. We have seen him do all sorts of unbelievable things with the bat. Who would dream of reverse-scooping James Anderson in Tests or Jofra Archer in white-ball cricket?" Chopra wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

Having said that, Chopra found Pant’s repeated attempts to step out and hit the seamers was a bit 'odd.'

"Still, we had never seen Pant dance down the track to fast bowlers, even in white-ball cricket. He prefers playing from the crease, or going further inside the crease. So his stepping out felt a little odd. Was he not told at lunch that his methods weren't aligned with what the team wanted? Or was the plan indeed to stay aggressive, which meant the batters needed to find their ways to accumulate runs in trying conditions?" he wrote.

The attacking left-hander was in fact out after he charged down the track and tried to hoick Trent Boult through mid-wicket after getting a top edge.

"They might have started the final day with the thought of forcing a result, but the twin wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara put them on the back foot in the first hour. Ajinkya Rahane never looked settled and Rishabh Pant kept taking his chances; he was fortunate to be unbeaten at lunch," Chopra wrote.

The former India opener, however, did not forget to remind everyone that the same methods have brought Pant success in Australia and also in the home series against England.

"Pant has allowed India to hope and believe ever since he made it back into the Test side. The innings in Sydney was full of bravado. The one that followed, at the Gabba will go down in history as one of the finest by an Indian batter in the fourth innings of a Test match. Pant's century against England was about controlled aggression - an innings of a man coming of age in Test cricket," Chopra pointed out.

"He had started leaving a lot of deliveries alone, stopped playing against the spin or swing, and showed how much damage-controlled aggression can do. He was not only India's version of an Adam Gilchrist-like keeper-batter but also allowed India to field five bowlers without worrying too much about their batting depth."