Rishabh Pant's unfinished knocks leave R Ashwin disappointed: 'He has cost India a few times through baffling shots'

While acknowledging Pant's status as one of India's most gifted match-winners, Ashwin expressed frustration over his repeated dismissals in the 80s and 90s.

Rishabh Pant has established himself as one of India's biggest match-winners in Test cricket, producing several memorable innings that have helped his side out of difficult situations. The wicketkeeper-batter's fearless approach has often been his greatest strength, allowing him to change the course of a match in a matter of sessions. In 50 Tests, Pant has scored eight centuries and cemented his place among the most impactful players of his generation.

Rishabh Pant got dismissed for 81 against Afghanistan. (Hindustan Times)

However, that same aggressive mindset has also attracted criticism. Pant has frequently fallen short of major milestones after attempting high-risk strokes in the 80s and 90s, showing little interest in personal landmarks and instead remaining committed to his natural style of play. While that approach has delivered more success than failure, there have been occasions when it has hurt the team.

One such instance came when Pant was dismissed for 81 against Afghanistan in the recently concluded one-off Test. Although India were in a strong position and his wicket did not significantly affect the outcome. However, his former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin later pointed to it as an example of Pant repeating avoidable mistakes.

“You've got out so many times in the 80s and 90s. It's impossible to discover such a great Test batter. But playing such a shot on 80 is mind-boggling. Having come to 80, can't you play for another 20 runs? He has cost India a few times through baffling shots at the wrong time. As a batter, he has to take that extra responsibility. If he had converted his multiple 80s to 100s, his stats would look unbelievable,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Pant needs to start playing the situation”

Ashwin believes Pant has reached a stage in his career where natural talent alone is not enough, stressing that the wicketkeeper-batter must show greater awareness of match situations after crossing the 50-Test mark.

"All batters make mistakes, but the amount of time he does it is disappointing. Especially when so many have told you that it's a mistake and to still keep doing it, I am not okay with that. He has played more than 50 Tests now. So he needs to start playing the situation for the team on many occasions," he added.