Rishabh Pant lit up the final day of the third Test in Sydney back in 2021. Walking in after Rahane’s early exit, he played fearlessly and raced to 73 before the lunch break. He seemed on course for something special.
But on 97, facing the first delivery of the 80th over, Pant charged Nathan Lyon and was caught off a thick edge. He looked crushed walking off. That moment, still replayed often, exposed the tension between instinct and advice. Cheteshwar Pujara had just reminded him to be careful with the second new ball coming. Pant, later, felt that warning broke his rhythm.
Two days before India face England at Lord’s, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revisited that episode while offering insight into Pant’s approach.
“Rishabh actually talks a lot about what he does, when he does it, and why,” Kotak said. “But during his innings, he doesn’t like talking too much. He thinks it affects his decision-making.”
Kotak described Pant as someone who plans more than people assume. The shots might look spontaneous, but most of them, Kotak said, are premeditated.
“It’s not easy to score hundreds in Tests without some level of planning,” he said.
The challenge for India’s batters, according to Kotak, isn’t just about shot selection. It’s also about resisting habits shaped by white-ball formats and bowler-friendly surfaces. He explained that players often carry over an aggressive mindset from T20 cricket, assuming they need to capitalize early or miss their chance.
“If a batter thinks there is a lot of movement and feels the need to hit boundaries at every half chance, that’s not the mindset you want in red-ball cricket,” Kotak said. “They already have the skill to punish loose balls. They don’t need to go hunting for boundaries.”
Kotak made it clear this wasn’t a tactical shift after the Headingley loss. It’s a principle he’s been reinforcing throughout the series.
“We’ve batted well in both matches. I feel our batters are capable of scoring at four an over without chasing runs,” he said. “What else is aggressive batting if not scoring 360 in 90 overs?”
That change in approach may not help England. The hosts have often relied on boundary catches to claw back into matches. At Edgbaston, that plan didn’t work. Shubman Gill led India’s charge with 430 runs across both innings. His restraint was just as important as his scoring rate. No loose strokes after reaching a hundred. No gifts for the fielders. Just discipline.
India’s batting now seems less focused on flair and more on control. Pant’s style hasn’t changed, but the way it fits into the larger game plan has.
And while England waits to see if Pant will explode or anchor, India appears more comfortable with either outcome.
