Australia vs India, 3rd Test: Rishabh Pant Gets Trolled After Dropping Two Catches In Quick Succession

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is again making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 23-year-old cricketer on Thursday dropped two catches of Australian Test debutant Will Pucovski in quick succession on Day 1 of the third Test in Sydney between Australia and India.

The first opportunity came when Pucovski was on 26 and he edged Ravichandran Ashwin but Pant, standing up to the off-spinner, spilt the catch. The opener had added another six runs to his tally when he gloved a short delivery from Mohammed Siraj and Pant scurried back and leapt but could not complete the catch. The dropped catches did not go well with Indian cricket fans who trolled Rishabh Pant brutally on the internet.

Many questioned his skills while others call for the inclusion of Wriddhiman Saha instead of him. “Fielding standards in world cricket are touching new lows. Nearly two dozen catches dropped during the India-Australia series. After the t-20 series, many catches dropped in tests”, wrote a fan.

A rollercoaster of emotions for Will Pucovski! Initially given out, but on closer inspection he's recalled to the crease! #OhWhatAFeeling@Toyota_Aus | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WgT5lCRjAE

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 7, 2021

The poor show from Pant behind the wickets reignited the debate on who’s better between him and Wriddhiman Saha giving further ammunition to detractors who say he should be dropped as India’s test wicketkeeper in favour of Wriddhiman Saha.

Since Pant’s test debut in 2018, India has faced the dilemma whether to pick 36-year-old Saha, considered technically the best gloveman in India, or Pant who is far more flamboyant with the bat.

Meanwhile, former Australian captain and coach of Delhi Capitals Ricky Ponting also raised questions on Rishabh Pant’s wicketkeeping technique.

Pant might be a slightly better bat than Saha and a louder voice but not even a comparison with the gloves. Costly misses here as well as the ones in Melbourne. Average against spin with stiff hands / poor technique. Feel for Saha deeply

— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) January 7, 2021

That lobbed catch off the pad is the only kind of catch Pant can do #AUSvsIND

— ☕️ Downing coffee (@ChadManRyger) January 7, 2021

Pant behind the stumps today… #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/txZbSoy2EF

— Tas Mavridis (@Tas_Mavridis) January 7, 2021

“The one’s (dropped catches) today are two that should be taken, simple as that. It’s probably lucky for Rishabh that Pucovski didn’t go on and make a big hundred or a double hundred and looking at the wicket, it looks like an unbelievable surface,” Ponting said as quoted by cricket.com.au.

“I’ve said it all along, the knock on Rishabh is always going to be on his keeping.

Since his debut in Test cricket, he’s dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world. That highlights he has got some work to do with his keeping”, he added.