NEW DELHI: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald on Saturday applauded Rishabh Pant‘s adaptability with the bat in the ongoing fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Pant’s contrasting approaches in the two innings left an impression, with McDonald acknowledging the Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s ability to tailor his game to the situation.
“First of all, it’s not surprising, the way he plays,” McDonald said. “He has an incredible ability to put pressure back onto bowlers. We were, in fact, a little bit surprised in the first innings, the way he went about his work.”
Pant laboured through a tough 149 minutes, taking multiple blows, and showed he wasn’t in a frame of mind to attack.
Pant’s first innings of 40 off 98 balls was followed by a counterattacking 29-ball half-century in the second innings, featuring two massive sixes off Mitchell Starc and one each against Scott Boland and Beau Webster.
“We’re planning for that though,” McDonald added. “We bounced in and out of a few plans there, and while he kept taking on the boundary riders and getting away with it, we managed to get him out before it got completely out of hand. It was an innings that you would say was right for that time.”
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McDonald also praised the SCG ground staff for preparing a pitch that offered a fair contest between bat and ball, a departure from its usual reputation as a batting paradise.
“The ground staff have done an incredible job in creating a wicket with something in it. Traditionally here, it’s quite benign, and we’ve had a lot of draws. But this game’s sped up, and it’s made for interesting cricket. I think they’re trying to produce an even contest between bat and ball, and there’s no doubt about that.”
With the green-top pitch continuing to challenge both batters and bowlers, the match has unfolded as a thrilling battle of skill and resilience.
