Didn’t take charge as the wicket was doing too much – Pant

Pant's Application Shines in India's Below-Par Total

Rishabh Pant, criticized for his dismissals in the last two Tests, displayed application and patience in India's recent innings. The left-hander top-scored with 40, facing 98 deliveries with three fours and a six. His usual flamboyance was largely absent, replaced with leaves outside the off stump and a defensive approach.

When asked about his change in strategy, Pant attributed it to the challenging nature of the SCG surface:

I think in this innings, I was not in a frame of mind where I wanted to take charge of the game because the wicket was doing too much and the kind of situation we were in.

Pant also suffered a painful blow to his hand from Mitchell Starc's bowling but continued seamlessly, prioritizing the team over personal discomfort.

Australia's disciplined bowling played a significant role in India's struggle. Of the 72.3 overs faced by India, 23 were maiden overs. Scott Boland was the most successful and economical bowler, with figures of 4-31 and an economy rate of 1.50 runs per over. Pant acknowledged the accuracy of the Australian bowlers and the difficulty in finding runs.

India's total of 180 was bolstered by Jasprit Bumrah's 17-ball 22, including a six off Pat Cummins. Pant and the Indian team recognize that their score is at least 40-50 runs short of a competitive total. However, they may take inspiration from their exploits at Perth.

The day ended with a heated argument between Bumrah and Sam Konstas, stemming from Usman Khawaja's time-wasting tactics. The umpires intervened, and Bumrah dismissed Khawaja off the very next ball. Pant shared his perspective on the incident:

I feel they had a little chit-chat… they wanted to waste some time I feel that's the reason he had a conversation with Jassi [Bumrah].

While Pant felt it was a time-wasting tactic, he admitted he didn't hear the conversation.