‘You can’t play the same way everywhere’ - Mishra warns Pant to modify his Test game

Indian Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has recently come under criticism due to his poor form in the longest format, with concerns raised over his shot selection and overall gameplay. Former Indian cricketer Amit Mishra has offered advice to the wicketkeeper-batter, suggesting that he needs to adjust his approach to avoid the risk of being dropped from the Test side.

Mishra believes that Pant’s unorthodox and aggressive style, while effective at times, has been thoroughly analysed by opponents, making him vulnerable to early dismissals. He emphasised that by modifying his game, Pant can continue to be a key contributor to the Indian Test team and maintain his place in the squad.

“I have very high expectations from Rishabh Pant. Given the kind of player he is, he will also have to modify his game. Now, you can’t really call him a youngster anymore — he has been in the team since 2018. That’s what I’m saying: after a certain point in time, it becomes very important to modify your game,” Mishra said on Men’s XP Podcast.

Mishra further emphasised that opponents are closely analyzing every aspect of Pant’s game, and even his unorthodox batting style may not remain effective in the long run. Commenting on Pant’s tendency to persist with his flamboyant approach, Mishra advised adopting a more flexible and adaptable strategy to sustain success at the highest level.

“The opposition teams are watching you closely. They are observing you, understanding your game, and planning against you — where you hit fast bowling, which balls you don’t attack, they notice everything. So you also need to be aware of that. You can’t keep saying, ‘I got out the same way again here.’ That’s something you must avoid,” Mishra said.

“If a particular shot doesn’t work on a certain pitch, then don’t play it. You can’t insist on saying, ‘This is how I play, this is my game.’ Then go ahead and do it — you will do it for four or five matches more and eventually get dropped. You can’t expect it to work everywhere. You won’t get the same kind of wicket everywhere where you can keep hitting fours and sixes. At some places, you’ll get turning tracks; at others, there will be bounce or swing. How you handle those conditions — that’s up to you,” he added.

In the recent India vs England series, Pant enjoyed a strong run of form, scoring 480 runs in seven innings at an average of 68.43, including three half-centuries and two centuries. However, his struggles were exposed during the subsequent South Africa tour, where he managed just 49 runs across four innings, averaging only 12.25.