Pant a bright spot amidst the ruins of Indian batting

MUMBAI: One felt it was nigh impossible for Rishabh Pant to play an innings of greater impact than his 89* at the Gabba.

- Rasesh Mandani

If not for his contentious caught behind dismissal in last week's Mumbai Test, his knock could well have entered exceptional territory.

Nevertheless, his 57-ball 64 on a raging turner in the fourth innings was a mini classic. Particularly, when one considers how listless the rest of India's batting line-up looked against spin in the series loss against New Zealand.

Pant is not one to lament on what could have been, as his seven 90s (as compared to his six Test hundreds) testify. But at the same time, he is one who will always show great trust in his own method. He'll back himself to the hilt and there is no denying that he was India's biggest positive with the bat; scoring the most runs (261) in a low-scoring series, at a superb batting strike-rate of 89.38.

The Delhi dasher has shown time and again how he can bat at a breakneck speed, but it's not just that - there's a method to his madness too. Take India's last innings run chase in Mumbai. India were chasing 147. Survival was difficult on a pitch turning square. Equally dangerous was the arm ball; the one that would go straight on. The Kiwi spinners had come armed with expertise from their Sri Lankan bowling coach Rangana Herath - masking the release, bowling with in-out fields.