This piece is being written at a time when the irrepressible Rishabh Pant was going hammer and tongs against New Zealand offering India hope of a victory, that eventually didn’t happen, with his inspiring and refreshing approach.
India’s top order has been an abject failure in this series with the biggest names just not turning up when the situation demanded them to stand up.
Chasing 147 may not seem a herculean task but at the Wankhede on Sunday, India found out how they can make a mess of that with their batting woes up the order continuing to be an irritant.
At 29/5, it looked like India were in dire straits with Ravindra Jadeja joining the flamboyant Pant, who appeared was playing a different match altogether on an entirely different pitch as compared to the rest of the Indian batters who lost their wickets.
To understand why the Indian team management, selectors and the BCCI back Pant despite his failings or inconsistencies over time is the sheer audacity and ingenuity with which he can bat that can change the complexion of a Test match the way only he can.
To call him ‘The Differentiator’ would not be incorrect given the kind of difference he can make to the team’s fortunes in games where if one takes him out of the equation, it seems like there is no hope at all.
At Wankhede, he brought India out of the depths of despaialthough he couldn’t finish over the line unlike the famous knock at the Gabba in Brisbane against the Australians in that epochal series win Down Under on the 2020/21 tour.
Was Rishabh Pant's knock at Wankhede better than the Brisbane one?
Pant may not want to compare the two knocks but the one here at the Wankhede has come in extremely challenging circumstances where India were pushed to the brink by a New Zealand team chasing an unprecedented Test series sweep in a three-match series.
With so much to play for, Pant has a way of getting his way around the opposition bowlers with his lofted shots over deep midwicket, sweeps and reverse sweeps that he employs to devastating effect, hitting straight over the bowlers head to upset his rhythm.
The ‘Spiderman’ has a style and approach all his own which is why he brings the same X-factor to the Indian team’s fate the way MS Dhoni did in his early years before becoming captain.
The unabashed destroyer of bowling attacks and winning games out of nowhere.
