"He is a batter who England fear" - Sanjay Manjrekar's huge statement on Indian star ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels Rishabh Pant is a big player in the current batting line-up. Ahead of the fourth Test against England, Manjrekar made a verdict on Pant and his batting approach. The game will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, beginning Wednesday, July 23.

Sanjay Manjrekar feels Rishabh Pant is a batter who England fear. Pant is known for his aggressive and fearless approach with the bat. His skills and batting style make him a vital asset in the middle order in Test cricket.

Manjrekar reckons the Indian batter must continue playing the way he does and should be given the license to do so.

"Rishabh Pant will play in his way no matter what the situation is. He should get that license because he deserves it. The batting unit has to function well. Jaiswal must think a bit about how he got out. He should make use of his form. Pant, I feel, is a big player at No.5. He is a batter who England fear," he said on Star Sports. (6:19)

The left-hander is in phenomenal form. He has scored 425 runs from six innings at an average of 70.83 with two hundreds and as many fifties. Pant made 74 runs in the first innings of the previous Test as well. India will rely on him to come good in Manchester once again.

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Sanjay Manjrekar believes Shubman Gill needs to introspect ahead of the fourth Test

Sanjay Manjrekar also spoke about Indian captain Shubman Gill. He reckons Gill will have a key role to play. At the same time, he pointed out that the team is not completely dependent on him, which is a good sign.

"Shubman Gill's role is important. But India should also look that there was no contribution from Gill in the batting at Lord's and despite that the batting line-up was challenging. That is a good takeaway that we are not completely dependent on Gill," he said.

The Indian captain was aggressive on the field in the third Test. He went after the English players as things heated up. However, it affected his batting as he returned with scores of 16 and six across both innings. Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Gill must introspect and look to focus solely on his captaincy, which could help him get back to scoring runs.

"I feel he has the ability to carry form. Maybe there will be some introspection in this gap. He should look at whether the altercation was necessary or should he just focus on captaincy. If he does that then his run-making machine will run again at Old Trafford," he added.

The 25-year-old has scored 607 runs from six innings so far at an average of 101.16 with centuries, including a double-hundred. With India 1-2 down and eyeing a comeback in Manchester, it will be important for Gill to score big and lead from the front.

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Edited by Rishab Vm