It was a series that demanded a mix of resilience and audacity, and Rishabh Pant offered just that. After enduring heavy scrutiny during the 2024/25 Australia tour, including a public lashing from Sunil Gavaskar over a rash dismissal at the MCG, Pant walked into the England Tests with a point to prove.
He did so emphatically, hammering twin centuries in the first Test, stringing together three more fifties, and finishing the series with a fractured toe and even stronger reputation. For all the fire he brings with the bat, it was the visible maturity in Pant’s shot selection and situational awareness that stood out in a series where India clawed their way to a 2-2 draw.
There were still questions about Pant’s instinctive aggression and whether it might once again cost India at crucial moments, but the left-hander demonstrated an ability to toggle between risk and responsibility depending on the phase of the game. His final half-century of the series came while nursing a broken toe, a knock that left a lasting impression on all.
Among those who took note was Sachin Tendulkar, who not only praised Pant’s composure but also shed light on one of his most unconventional shot-making traits, his fall while attempting the paddle sweep.
“The sweep shot that he played, he likes to get under the ball to scoop it with some elevation,” Tendulkar said in a Reddit video.
“People think he has fallen, but it is intentional so that he can get under the ball. The secret to play those shots is to be able to get under the ball.”
Tendulkar added that the fall only happens when Pant reads a fuller length, one that allows elevation and control. “He plans his fall, that’s not going him off-balance. All of that depends on the length that the bowler bowls. He only falls when the length is fuller. He can play it easily when the length is farther away.”
Should be left alone
There have been significant debates on Pant’s situational awareness from time to time, but Tendulkar believes that wicketkeeper-batter has gained some maturity and that he should be “left alone.”
“There were occasions where people felt he doesn’t have to play that shot… but someone like Rishabh should be left alone,” he said.
“If you’re looking to save a match, he has to have different approach. When you’ve got to play 10-15 overs to save a match, he has to have a different approach. But it largely depends on the situation and time. He has used his experience brilliantly, he’s organised in his head, and he has executed that brilliantly in the series.”