'Stupid! Rishabh Pant shouldn't return to Indian dressing room; should go to Australia's': Gavaskar fires up on live TV

A livid Sunil Gavaskar did not spare Rishabh Pant for the "shocking" and "terrible" shot that he played to throw his wicket in the morning session of Day 3 in the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne. Pant, who looked to be in total control of the proceedings, riding the bounce of Pat Cummins and Scott Boland and even finding ways to score runs dissecting the unorthodox field placements, suddenly lost his way. A ball after getting hit on the ribs attempting a falling flick of Scott Boland's bowling, Pant went for the same shot despite Australia having fine leg, square leg and third man back on the boundary and ended up getting a top edge to third man to lose his wicket for 28. India's Rishabh Pant leaves the field after being dismissed on the third day of the fourth cricket Test match against Australia(AFP)

Gavaskar was absolutely livid with Pant's shot selection, which gave Australia their first breakthrough on Day 3. The legendary Indian cricketer said Pant should not even think about returning to the Indian dressing room after playing that shot.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that (India’s) dressing room - he should be going into the other dressing room!" Gavaskar said on ABP Sport radio.

"Shoking! Both the dismissal and running. No need for such runs and shots at this time. It could also be because of the way Australia have bowled, no free runs, no singles on offer. It's not T20 cricket or 50 overs cricket," he said on commentary.

Pant, who generally plays an attacking game and finds unusual areas to score runs, was slammed for not reading the match situation. Gavaskar was miffed at the India keeper for attempting that falling lap shot with two fielders in the deep, and India were in need of a desperate partnership.

"Earlier, when there were no fielders around, he attempted those shots. This is understandable because you are taking a calculative risk. Here, the fielder was placed in the deep. He, however, wanted to go over the leg, but it went to the offside, so you could say maybe there was a little bit of bad luck involved, but it was a terrible selection of a shot at that point in time with two fielders down in the deep," Gavaskar said in the Lunch break show on Star Sports.

‘Pant shouldn’t bat at No.5 if he continues to bat like this': Gavaskar

The former India captain said if Pant is going to bat in this manner, he should not bat as high as No.5 in India's batting order.

"It appears to be that it's the only way he seems he is capable of scoring runs, so he's not going to be scoring runs the orthodox way. He will only be going down the pitch, hammering the ball over long-on or continuing to pay these shots, then, at the Test level, you can't always succeed. Then you've got to be prepared that he will get you runs sometimes. If that is the case, he cannot bat at No.5, he's got to bat down the order.

"It is (annoying). Between 20-39 he gets out 13 times and then 50-plus scores are thrice. In 18 innings if you have got three 50-plus scores then you bat at No.5 that is one in every sixth innings, you are getting a half-century. Is that good enough for a No.5?" he said.

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