India batting coach hails two X-factors in batting lineup

The third Test of the series at Lord's is around the corner and India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has praised the duo of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, both of whom have played vital roles in India’s success so far in the series.

He credited Pant's risk-and-reward style of play and emphasised the importance of having players in the team who can shift the momentum and turn the tide.

“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 Rishabh,” said Sitanshu.

“But that does not mean that he doesn’t think. He does think, he does take decisions and when it goes wrong, it looks bad. But when it goes right, people are happy saying, 'Oh, what an entertaining innings that was.'

So any team, I would think that would have a couple of players who are a little different in a batting lineup than others."

Kotal dismissed the notion that Pant is merely an in-the-moment player, a label often linked to him because of his audacious shot selections.

“Rishabh actually talks a lot about what he does with bat, when he does, why he does it with me. He is someone who doesn’t like talking too much during his inning because he feels that that changes his mindset, and he takes the wrong decision,” Kotak added.

Rishabh is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the series with 342 runs, including two centuries.

Among the Indian batters, he is only behind Shubman Gill, who has been in sensational form.

Gill scored his maiden hundred in England in the first match, followed it up with a double century and then added another century in the second innings at Edgbaston, taking his tally to an impressive 585 runs.

“I don’t think anything has changed because he is a captain. His mindset has shifted a bit and there are definitely technical changes, which I saw in Australia, series in India, and during our initial practice match here,” Kotak emphasised.

This turnaround in form has been crucial for Shubman Gill, who endured a difficult tour of Australia late last year, scoring just 93 runs in five innings.

“More change in mindset than technical, which every batter does without saying much.”

“He is in a mindset where he wants to give little time to the wicket. As I said before, his skill is such that he can convert any loose ball into a boundary."

When asked about his assessment of the Lord’s pitch, he predicted it would favour the bowlers and be significantly more challenging for the batters compared to the last two Tests, especially due to the visible grass covering.

“The wicket is bit greener than what we saw in the last two games. However, we can only talk after they do the last cutting before match,” said Kotak.

“And generally, at Lord’s, the scores of the first and second innings are comparatively low. So, we can expect that it will be helpful for bowlers.

“For batters, spending time on the wickets is the best friend you can have. The more time you spend on the wicket, the more you will adjust to it.”