‘He can but he won’t’: Sunil Gavaskar’s bold statement on whether Rishabh Pant can bring India back on Day 3

New Delhi: India are in deep trouble in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Having allowed a 157-run first innings deficit, India have reached 128-5 at stumps on Day 2, still behind by 29 runs. Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy remain at the crease while R Ashwin is next in line to bat; the hopes are pinned on Pant playing an innings to take India back into this game.

On Day 2, Rishabh Pant showed a more positive approach and remained unbeaten on 28 off 25 balls. He started his innings by charging down the ground to hit Scott Boland for a boundary. Even though Pant’s aggressive style is not unusual, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar criticized his approach as too risky, particularly when his team was reeling at 73-3.

In an indirect jab at Rishabh Pant, Sunil Gavaskar went on to say that these modern players find it easier to take risks in their approach because they know that even if they are dropped from the Test team, they have the IPL as a fallback option.

“Very entertaining, no question about it. But you mustn’t forget, in the old days, there was no alternative to Test cricket; if you didn’t play Test cricket, you went back to Ranji Trophy, you went back to club cricket, and that was it. When you have a cushion like the IPL, like the contract system, you can play this way. So what if you get dropped from the Indian team, you have the IPL,” Gavaskar said in the post-match show on Star Sports after the end of Day 2 in Adelaide.

When asked if Rishabh Pant could lead India’s comeback on Day 3, Gavaskar remained skeptical. In response to Mark Nicholas’ question, “Can he come out tomorrow and turn this back India’s way?”, Gavaskar firmly replied, “He can but he won’t.”

Meanwhile, India found themselves once again at the mercy of Travis Head, who unleashed a devastating 111-ball century, setting a record. His remarkable innings helped Australia reach 337 in their first innings, giving them a commanding 157-run lead. Despite being dropped twice, Head made India pay dearly for those missed chances, accumulating crucial runs.