Rishabh Pant had a disappointing outing with the bat on the third day of the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Wednesday as he was dismissed for a duck. Pant nicked a Kagiso Rabada delivery to the keeper while trying charge down the track and smash it over extra cover. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was subsequently criticised by fans and pundits over his shot selection. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra too reserved some strong words for Pant, saying the 24-year-old cricketer “let the team down”.
“We all say that's his natural game (but) my way or the highway but that just doesn't cut it,” Chopra said on Star Sports while analysing Pant's dismissal.
"There are two non-negotiables in international cricket -- respect the conditions and respect the situation. If you have just lost two wickets, this is not how you respect the situation. You don't just charge down at a bowler who has got his tail up,” he added.
"It was an irresponsible shot. Yes he is 25, he is young, he has got the X-factor, he is someone who all of us want to invest in; he has scored runs in tough conditions, a crucial knock in Australia, the best perhaps an Indian cricketer has played in a long, long time. His keeping has improved leaps and bounds but there is no excuse for a shot like that. He let the team down," Chopra said.
Despite Pant's poor showing with the bat, India managed a second innings total of 266 to set South Africa a target of 240 runs.