He talks a lot about game but not while batting: India batting coach Kotak reveals Pant's mindset

London [UK], July 8 (ANI): India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak gave a sneak peek into the mindset and ideology that vice-captain Rishabh Pant adopts during his explosive endeavours with the bat on the field, which has allowed him to taste success in the Test format, despite playing differently from the usual norms of the format.
Pant has cracked the formula of success in the red-ball format, even after staying true to his belligerent approach and unorthodox strokeplay. Classified as a game-changer and swashbuckler, Pant has gone all guns blazing in the opening two Tests in India's ongoing tour of England.
Despite carrying the added responsibility of serving as captain Shubman Gill's deputy, Pant has tantalised England's inexperienced pace attack, bereft of its famed speedsters James Anderson and Stuart Broad. With 342 runs in four innings at a stellar average of 85.50, Pant is the third-highest run-getter in the series.
Kotak offered an insight into how Pant approaches the game. He revealed that the 27-year-old southpaw, whose approach isn't random but involves thinking and decision-making that turn him into a player capable of breaking the opposition's momentum.
"You are saying that about Rishabh now, every team will have some aggressive players who are very good at breaking the opposition's momentum. So someone like Jaiswal who plays the way he plays, someone like reserve. But that does not mean that he doesn't think," Kotal told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday.
"He does think. He does make decisions. And when it goes wrong, it looks bad. But when it goes right, people are happy that, oh, what entertaining that was. So, I think any team would have a couple of players who are a little different in a batting lineup than others," he added.
Pant fired twin centuries (134 and 118) in the series opener at Headingley and provided India a platform to fight for victory. His heroics went in vain after India failed to capitalise on the opportunities and surrendered a five-wicket defeat.
In the second Test, the fireworks from his bat in the first innings remained limited. However, in the second innings, he upped the ante and notched a quick-fire 65 from 58 deliveries to set the tempo in India's favour. His efforts fuelled India to a series-levelling 336-run victory at Edgbaston.
Kotak disclosed that Pant talks a lot to him off the field about his game and other batters. He also revealed that Pant goes into a game with a plan, which has been evident in the way he switches from an aggressive to a defensive brand of cricket, depending on the situation.
"Rishabh actually talks a lot. Rishabh actually talks a lot about what he does, when he does, why he does to me, he has spoken. But he is someone who doesn't like talking too much during his inning going on. Because he feels that it changes his mindset, and he makes the wrong decision. So that's only when he is batting," Kotak said.
"Apart from that, he talks about other batters also, about himself also. And he does make proper plans for what he wants to do because it's not so easy to score a hundred or not so easy to be successful at this level without having any plan," he concluded.
Pant will return to action for the third Test, which is set to be played at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's, on Thursday, where India and Engalnd will fight for a prized lead in the five-match series. (ANI)