‘You have to play according to the situation’: India coach’s tough verdict on Rishabh Pant ahead of Afghanistan Test

NEW DELHI: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Thursday said that Rishabh Pant needs to adapt his batting to the match situation while confirming that the wicket-keeper batsman had no problems losing the Test vice-captain.Ahead of India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan starting on Saturday, ten Doeschate stressed the importance of leadership without a formal role and said Pant should focus on taking the right decisions based on the situation of the game. “You don’t need a formal title to become a leader. We need him to adjust his game to play according to the situation,” Deoschate said.Pant was dropped as India’s Test vice-captain when the BCCI announced the squad for the Afghanistan Test last month. Reacting to Ten’s decision, Doeschate said that Pant accepted the move without any apprehension.“No complaints from Rishabh about being removed as VC.Pant has scored 3,476 runs in 49 Tests at an average of 42.91. While his attacking style has helped India win matches, he has at times faced criticism for taking unnecessary risks and being reckless.The wicket-keeper batsman struggled in India’s last home Test series against South Africa, scoring 49 runs at an average of 12.25.Despite losing the vice-captain, Pant remains part of India’s 15-member squad for the Afghanistan Test.Indian Test Team: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Dubeyv, Harsh D. Jurel.