3 reasons why Rishabh Pant needs to score consistently in Tests

Rishabh Pant is in the middle of an important stretch on India's Test tour of Sri Lanka. India lead the two-match series 1-0 after winning the 1st Test at Galle by 165 runs, and the 2nd Test is under way at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

Across three innings on this tour, Pant has registered two half-centuries. In the 2nd Test, he was dismissed for 63 off 89 deliveries, having hit two sixes and six boundaries. That knock was his 21st Test fifty, and it came after he had retired hurt on 3 on Day 1 following a blow to his left wrist from a Lahiru Kumara delivery. The reasons for him to keep producing such performances, however, go beyond this series alone.

3 reasons why Rishabh Pant needs to score consistently in Tests

3. Competition from Dhruv Jurel and a crowded batting order

Dhruv Jurel smashed 115 not out off 177 balls, sharing an unbroken 112-run seventh-wicket stand with Pant. It was his second Test century, and he has shown the ability to handle both pace and spin with assurance. Devdutt Padikkal has further strengthened India's middle order by scoring his second Test century in as many games in this series. He made 117 off 193 deliveries in the 2nd Test, spending close to five hours at the crease and hitting 12 boundaries, following 167 runs in the 1st Test. With Jurel pushing hard for a regular berth and Padikkal firmly established, the batting order is becoming increasingly competitive. Once Sai Sudharsan returns from injury, India may prefer to field him over carrying two wicketkeepers, which would put additional pressure on Pant to justify his place purely on batting merit.