'Need to play according to situation': India coach's blunt verdict on Rishabh Pant ahead of Afghanistan Test

NEW DELHI: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Thursday said Rishabh Pant needs to adapt his batting according to match situations, while also confirming that the wicketkeeper-batter had no issues with losing the Test vice-captaincy.

Speaking ahead of India's one-off Test against Afghanistan, which begins on Saturday, ten Doeschate stressed the importance of leadership without a formal role and said Pant's focus should be on making the right decisions based on the situation of the game.




"You don’t need a formal title to becoming a leader. We need him to adjust his game to play according to the situation," Deoschate said.

Pant was removed as India's Test vice-captain when the BCCI announced the squad for the Afghanistan Test last month. Addressing the decision, ten Doeschate said Pant accepted the move without any concerns.

"No complaints frim Rishabh on being removed as VC."

Pant has scored 3,476 runs in 49 Tests at an average of 42.91. While his attacking style has helped India win matches, he has also faced criticism at times for taking unnecessary risks and for being reckless.

The wicketkeeper-batter struggled in India's most recent home Test series against South Africa, scoring 49 runs at an average of 12.25.

Despite losing the vice-captaincy, Pant remains part of India's 15-member squad for the Afghanistan Test.

India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.