Rishabh Pant's 89 on the last day of the fourth test in Brisbane was instrumental in helping India win the series down under.
Rishabh Pant and his love affair with fourth innings continued at the Gabba as India chased down a record total to win the Border-Gavaskar trophy with three overs and three wickets to spare on the last day of the series. Pant averages 43.52 in Tests but 87 in the fourth innings. This included two hundreds and four half-centuries, one of which is the unbeaten 89 at the Gabba.
Batting in the fourth innings of a Test match is indeed a challenging task. From a crumbling surface to the pressure of chasing a target, batting in the fourth innings is not an easy task. Hence, a crucial knock played in the fourth innings can prove decisive and that is exactly what Pant did.
While in Sydney, he lived by the sword and died by it, at the Gabba he shouldered the responsibility to take India home. With the total at 167/3 in the 57th over, the sight of Rishabh Pant walking to the crease to replace Rahane suggested India was still chasing a win.
With Pant’s ability to strike the ball at a brisk pace, India always had a chance to got for the kill. Batting fearlessly, Pant played some breathtaking cover drives off Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the final session. Against the off-spinner Nathan Lyon, he cut, stepped down, and even played the audacious paddle-sweep to keep the pressure on the opposition.
A moment that mattered
As Pant continued to counterpunch the Aussies, he benefitted from a missed stumping chance. It was the 69th over of India’s innings where Lyon got on to turn and the bounce and beat both Pant and Paine. Pant was batting on 16 at that stage. The Australian wicket-keeper was also deceived by the turn that Lyon generated from the pitch as he missed the ball resulting in four byes. Lyon was left shocked as Paine missed a regulation stumping.
Pant’s love affair in fourth innings
There is something about Pant and fourth innings. His first Test hundred — 114 against England at the Oval was in the fourth innings and so was his 97 at the SCG and the match-winning 89 at the Gabba.
Pant averages 79.50 runs per dismissal in the 4th innings of Tests. Only two players (with 300+ runs) in the history of Test cricket (Bruce Mitchell of SA & Jeffrey Stollmeyer of WI) average more in the 4th innings than the Indian left-handed wicket-keeper.
Indian batsmen to make 89+ more than once in the fourth innings while saving or winning a Test:
Sunil Gavaskar: 4
Sachin Tendulkar: 2
Sourav Ganguly: 2
Rishabh Pant: 2 (in a week)
Highest Knocks by an Indian WK in the Fourth Innings
Rishab pant 114 v Eng
Rishab pant 97 v Aus
MS Dhoni 76 v Eng
P Patel 67 v Eng
Best batting average for ‘keepers in fourth innings away from home (min 5 innings)
Pant – 87.00
Knott – 57.00
Wadsworth – 46.66
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