"Save those for IPL" - Former India wicket-keeper's stunning advice for Rishabh Pant ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former Indian wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer advised Rishabh Pant to avoid playing risky shots in Test cricket amid the ongoing series against England. The 27-year-old has been in outstanding form thus far in the series, scoring 425 runs at an average of over 70, including two centuries, in six innings.

Yet, the swashbuckling wicketkeeper batter has been dismissed a couple of times playing ungainly big shots to Shoaib Bashir. Pant was also criticized a few times in India's previous Test series in Australia for his questionable shot selection.

When asked if Pant should avoid taking risks in the Test format in an interview with Revsportz, Engineer responded:

"Absolutely. Save those for IPL. Test cricket demands discipline. From a number three or four, you expect them to play proper cricket, get big scores, and build innings."

He added:

"He has the confidence and has gotten away with it often. But he needs to be more responsible in crucial moments, like right before lunch or at the end of a day’s play. Still, he’s immensely talented. He invents his own shots, and thankfully, helmets allow that now. In our time, we wouldn’t have had any teeth left."

Despite Rishabh Pant's heroics, India are in a 1-2 hole in the best-of-five series against England.

"He can play as a pure batter" - Farokh Engineer on Rishabh Pant's participation in 4th ENG vs IND Test

Farokh Engineer believes Rishabh Pant should play as a pure batter in the XI despite carrying a finger injury. Dhruv Jurel kept wickets for the majority of both innings in the Lord's Test as Pant was off the field with his injury.

Yet, the latter scored a valuable 74 in India's first innings before being run out at a crucial moment on Day 3.

"For the runs he’s scored, yes, he can play as a pure batter. But Rishabh is unpredictable. Whatever comes to his mind, he does it. I joked with him about his shot selection, and he just laughed—said he does what feels right in the moment. Rishabh has scored centuries in both innings of a Test, which is remarkable. So yes, he could play purely as a batsman, especially with England’s strong bowling lineup, now including Jofra Archer and Atkinson," said Engineer (via the aforementioned source).

Rishabh Pant is the second leading run-scorer in the ongoing series behind only Indian skipper Shubman Gill. Meanwhile, the all-important fourth Test, with India in near must-win territory, starts at Manchester on July 23.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran