Ravi Shastri recalls urging Rishabh Pant to try “outrageous” shots

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has recalled his chat with Rishabh Pant on-air during the latter’s terrific knock of 146 off 111 balls, which has paved the way for Team India to have the edge over the hosts at the end of Day 1. 

Shastri claims that he suggested Pant try something more outrageous like the reverse sweeps when the 24-year-old was getting dismissed in Tests during his stint as a head coach. 

"Last thing I wanted to do was to tell him to not play that shot. I told him think about it, you're getting out in this fashion and I am getting bored. Try something more outrageous like the reverse sweep or something of that sort," Shastri said on-air.

The 60-year-old revealed that there was a spark in Pant's eye when he urged the batter to do something out of the box to get back to form. Further, Shastri stated that the talented wicket-keeper successfully executed his innovative shots against Nathan Lyon, James Anderson, and Jofra Archer, respectively. 

"He looked at me and there was that spark in his eye, 'you have given me a way out here'. He waited, next Test he got a hundred. He reverse swept Nathan Lyon a couple of times but he waited till Chennai to reverse sweep Anderson for a six. And then he did it to Jofra Archer in one of the ODI games (sic)," Shastri added. 

In the 2021 home Test and ODI series against England, Pant went on to reverse-scoop against Anderson and Archer, respectively. 

In the ongoing Test match, Pant played a reverse-scoop against Anderson in a pressure situation. 

Shastri feels the natural instinct of Pant should not be curbed, as it brings the best out of the youngster. The former all-rounder added that the team must give enough freedom to the in-form wicket-keeper. 

"But what you tell him, when someone has that match-winning ability, just that natural instinct, you do not want to curb it. 

You want him to have that confidence when he is going out there, just being a little smarter about the ability he has, the talent. When he is defending, he has a lot of time on his hands," Shastri added.