Rishabh Pant’s attacking propensity has proved a double-edged sword for India in Test cricket. While his approach has occasionally rescued the team from precarious situations, it has also led to frustrating, untimely dismissals, despite the talented wicketkeeper-batter frequently getting starts. During India’s five-match Test tour of Australia in 2024-25, Pant drew criticism for squandering his wicket on numerous occasions. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, while commentating during the fourth Test in Melbourne, labelled Pant’s shot selection “stupid”. Pant finished the tour with 255 runs from nine innings, with a top score of 61. His scores across the five matches were 37, 1, 21, 28, 9, 28, 30, 40 and 61. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also expressed displeasure with Pant’s performance, believing he played “too many shots” and swung indiscriminately, an unsuitable approach in conditions where the ball is moving. “I did not like what I saw of him in Australia. Too many shots. Just too many shots. He was just swinging at every ball, and that’s not how you bat in conditions where the ball was moving around a bit,” Ganguly told Revsportz. Pant was recently appointed India’s Test vice-captain for the five-Test series in England starting on June 20. The 27-year-old will draw confidence from his record in English conditions, hoping for a productive outing on what promises to be a challenging tour. In England, Pant has played nine Tests, scoring 556 runs at an average of 32.70, with two centuries and two fifties. Ganguly advised Pant to temper his instincts and prioritise defence. “He (Pant) needs to show fight. He has a very good defence. That’s what I want to see. I want him to fight and grind down. Be ugly. Look ugly. But don’t swing at every ball and give it away. I know he is a stroke-maker and that’s his strength, but then he will have to adapt and play accordingly,” Ganguly said.