You wouldn’t expect someone like Rishabh Pant to go for a draw. Having seen the wicketkeeper guide Team India to a famous victory in Gabba three years ago, it may seem unusual that the aggressive batter is now going for a draw. But, if anything, it shows the maturity and versatility of Pant the batter.
Rishabh Pant & Yashasvi Jaiswal, going for a draw in Melbourne?
He understands that the probability of losing from 33/3 chasing 340 is much more than winning. That too when you just have around 60-65 overs left. At Tea on Day 5, Pant’s strike rate is 30.11, and that’s not after facing 10 or 15 balls but 15 overs all by himself (93 balls).
During one of Scott Boland’s spells in the second session of the India vs Australia 4th Test, he was telling Yashasvi Jaiswal, “Koi jaldi nahi hai (There is no hurry).” It shows that Pant knows it’s the time to weather the storm and take the heat from Mitchell Starc, Boland, and Pat Cummins. The pitch isn’t that spicy, and once their first spells after Lunch are over, things will get easy.
Chasing 340 at MCG: Possible?
The pitch isn’t helping the bowlers much, but it also doesn’t look easy to score on. The reason why Pant and Jaiswal have found it somewhat easy is because they aren’t going for their shots. Since their risk factor is relatively small, it seems like the surface is easy to bat on. But once they start taking their chances, the probability of losing their wickets increases.
Moreover, to chase down the 340, they need to score at 6 runs an over. They might be able to do that in an ODI match but not in a Test with just all-rounders left. Sure, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar did well in the first innings, but do you want to try taking the risk and losing or just play the way you are and then go for the win when you feel Australia can’t win from here?
What is the highest successful chase at MCG in Test cricket?
| Target | Team | Opposition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 322 | England | Australia | 1928 |
| 297 | England | Australia | 1895 |
| 295 | South Africa | Australia | 1953 |
| 286 | Australia | England | 1929 |
| 282 | England | Australia | 1908 |
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Rohit Sharma dropped? Gambhir doesn't confirm Indian captain's spot in Playing XI for Sydney Test
Top Stories
