On Tuesday, the Indian team finally ended their losing streak against South Africa that began in January this year as they won the third T20I in Vizag in an emphatic fashion to keep the five-match series alive. After giving the tourists a 0-2 lead, India were in a dismal position and they registered a 48-run win thanks to a stellar performance from their bowlers.
India vs South Africa 2022: Schedule , news , photos
Both India Opener- Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan – Scored a half-century, while Hardik Pandya played an unbeaten 21-ball 31 to take them to 179/5. Then Harshal Patel (4/25) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/20) combined to bundle out South Africa for 131 runs.
While the win came as a big relief to stand-in India captain Rishabh Pant, who was facing criticism for his decision in tense situations, he continued to struggle in T20Is as a batsman. Huh. In the three matches of the series so far, the big hit batsman has registered scores of 29, 5 and 6.
The common feature of all three of his innings has been the manner of getting out. Pant has been seen playing wild, extraordinary shots.
Batsman legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that the time has come for the 24-year-old to introspect a bit on his batting. “People expect him (Pant) to come along and start hitting the ball for fours and sixes. This is something that people have come to expect because of the performance he has done in the last 3-4 years, and hence it is a disappointment. But I think what they need to do is introspect,” said Gavaskar star sports,
With the pressure on to keep the series alive, Gavaskar said this is the best time for Pant to think about his batting. “It often happens during captaincy that sometimes you are not thinking about your game. You are thinking of the game of others – bowler or batsman. So you forget that there may be some technical problem in your own batting. And that’s what makes him sit down and think. It’s been two days for him. First and foremost, he will feel much better that India has won. So that a little pressure takes off. This will give him some relief and he will have to think about his batting now.
Gavaskar’s advice to Pant is to wait for the balls that are in his arc. “He should be thinking ‘I’m getting hit balls. It’s not coming in my arc. I’ve gone past the off-stump and still I can’t do it. So what do I do now? Try to improve off-side shots? Do I only want to watch on-side play? Can I use my power and my timing? Can I start hitting it straight? Or do I need extra cover Should you hit?’ And that’s part of the danger because that’s where you bite the ball. And so unless you hit it really well, you’re going to be stuck in the deep. Hit the ball straight and he’ll still hit sixes, Gavaskar said.
Get all the latest updates cricket news, cricket pictures, cricket videos And cricket score Here