For Rishabh Pant, Lessons On Terrace Of Roorkie Home Come Handy

On the cemented terrace of his Roorkie home in Uttarakhand, father Rajinder Pant would tie a pillow to the chest of his tiny son Rishabh and bowl with a cork ball to him from close distance to take th

"But, on a serious note, I am happy that Rishabh played responsibly and sensibly. His off-side play has also improved, and it was visible today. He started slowly and gradually accelerated his innings, especially after Australia took the second new ball he hammered several boundaries. Also, he now has a good temperament. And, I have a feeling that the Australians fear him," Sinha told IANS.

Significantly, Pant, who was promoted to No.5 (in the first innings he batted at No.6), remained unbeaten after three-hour vigil at the crease while facing 138 balls.

"This was in his mind for a long a time -- to remain unbeaten and take the team to victory -- after some people had criticised him for not finishing off matches. He wanted to be a finisher, and he showed it today that he was on his way," disclosed Sinha.

"I also pointed it out to him that he had missed a few centuries by getting out in the nineties."

Pant has got out three times in the nineties - twice against West Indies in 2018 and in the third Test against Australia in Sydney this month.

On Tuesday, however, he didn't get the opportunity to reach his century as India won and he remained unbeaten on 89. However, the knock may have cemented his place in the Test XI - and opened a window of opportunity for inclusion in the Indian ODI and T20 teams.