India faced a challenging situation on Day 4 when they lost their captain Shubman Gill. With 20 minutes remaining in the day’s play, India had lost their third wicket at 42/3 while chasing 193, giving England a significant advantage.In an unexpected move, Akash Deep emerged as the nightwatchman, still adjusting his protective gear. The decision appeared to be made hastily, potentially to protect Rishabh Pant, with Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, and Washington Sundar as the remaining out-and-out batting options.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While India managed to protect KL Rahul’s wicket, they still lost their fourth wicket in the form of Akash Deep two balls before stumps.
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What impact do you think the decision to send in a nightwatchman will have on the match outcome?
The decision came under scrutiny, but former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s revelation about Pant’s reluctance to bat during late hours provided some context.“I’ll tell you a story. Remember that Test match in Mirpur when India were chasing some 140 runs to win? So I was sitting and relaxing in the dressing room after bowling. It was all hot and humid. I was sitting next to the analyst and Rahul Dravid (head coach) was there a little further. After we lost the first two wickets, Rishabh said ‘main nahi ja raha batting karne’ (I am not going out to bat) to Rahul bhai. There was a good 30-40 minutes left. But he said I am not going. When the next wicket fell and the No. 4 batter was supposed to go in, he went inside and they had to send Axar Patel first, I guess, and then Jaydev Unadkat to go in as the nightwatchman,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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How crucial is Rishabh Pant’s role in India’s chase at Lord’s?
This wasn’t an isolated incident involving Pant’s reluctance to bat in the closing stages of play. Given Pant’s current form, he remains crucial for India’s chase at Lord’s as they aim to take a 2-1 lead.“Rishabh does not like batting in the last 30-40 minutes of the day. That’s why they sent Akash Deep. But see, it is about protecting your best batter, yes. But when you send a batter like Akash Deep and then he gets out, it puts you in even more of a situation. When we were playing against New Zealand, the same thing happened. When Virat Kohli got out, Rishabh was not in a mood to go out. Then we had to Siraj. And when he got out, again a proper batter had to go out.“
“All in all, it is a catch-22, but today it was ok because it was only 20-25 minutes. Because you want 190, and protecting Rishabh is important. So it’s a good decision that he made. But all in all, I want to see how Rishabh goes about his business. The right strategy was to ensure Rahul bats long, but Rishabh could have gone in. 30-40 runs is crucial I’m such a low-chasing total.”The decision to send in a nightwatchman reflected the team’s strategy to protect their key batsmen during the crucial chase. With India pursuing a target of 193, the management’s choices could significantly impact the match outcome.
