Day 3 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match in Melbourne was expected to showcase Rishabh Pant’s batting skills as he returned to the crease for India. However, things did not go as hoped. Pant made just 28 runs and was caught out after a risky shot. India was struggling at 191/5, chasing Australia’s big total of 474.
Pant attempted a tricky ramp shot against bowler Scott Boland but ended up hitting a top edge, which was easily caught by a fielder. This mistake came after he had batted cautiously for about 40-45 minutes, making his dismissal even more disappointing.
After Pant’s wicket, two Australian cricket legends, Mark Waugh and Michael Hussey, had a lively disagreement on TV. Waugh criticized Pant’s shot, calling it “unacceptable” because there were fielders in place specifically to catch that kind of risky play.
“It’s just too hard a shot to play in that situation,” Waugh said. “If you want to be aggressive, run at the bowler and hit over mid-off instead.”
However, Hussey defended Pant, saying it’s part of how he plays the game, even if it was a bad shot. England’s Michael Vaughan joined in to support Hussey, saying Pant is a unique talent who should keep playing his style.
Waugh stood firm in his criticism, saying Pant’s shot was awful when India needed him to build a strong innings. Hussey suggested that if Pant had hit a six, Waugh would have praised him. Their playful banter led to Waugh jokingly reminding Hussey that he was just an assistant coach and not the head coach.
While the debate continued, it was a tough day for India, but Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped up late in the innings. After batting at 191/6, he scored his first Test century, finishing day 3 unbeaten at 105 runs. India ended the day at 358/9, still trailing by 116 runs.
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