Rohit Sharma backs Rishabh Pant to bounce back ahead of crucial Boxing Day Test

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has expressed full confidence in wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as India prepares for the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Despite a quiet series so far, Pant remains a key player for India, particularly given his past success in Australia and his ability to counter-attack under pressure. Rohit highlighted Pant’s high expectations of himself and assured fans that the young batter is working hard to deliver in the remainder of the series.

Pant, who scored a century in his comeback Test following a life-threatening road accident, has struggled in the current series, managing just 96 runs in five innings at an average of 19.20. However, he boasts an impressive record in Australia, with 720 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 48.00, including a career-best 159*. Rohit emphasized that Pant’s form should not be judged based on a few matches and stressed the importance of keeping the messaging to players like Pant simple and focused. The skipper concluded by expressing confidence that Pant’s hard work would translate into strong performances in the remaining Tests.

Also See: India vs Australia Schedule | India Cricket Schedule | Australia Cricket Schedule

India Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

Australia Squad: Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (VC), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.