He is somebody who can change the game: Rohit Sharma praises Rishabh Pant

India skipper Rohit Sharma praised wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his batting style and said that he is a player who can change the game.

India beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the second Test on Monday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to clinch the two-match series 2-0.

"We know how he bats and, as a team, we just want to give him that freedom to bat in the way that he wants to bat. But also keep in mind certain situations of the game, where the game is going, we have conveyed that to him but we want to stick with his game plan as a team," said Rohit Sharma during a post-match press conference.

 

"It just seems to get better and get better, his game-plans. There will be times when you will smash your head and say 'why did he play that shot', but again, we need to be ready to accept that with him when he bats. He is somebody who can change the game literally in half an hour or 40 minutes of the game. I think what comes with Rishabh Pant, we are ready to accept that," he added.

This series was the first time when Rohit led the team in Test cricket. He said that he tried to work on his instinct and tried to analyze the game.

"There are a few senior members in the team who understand the game well and have their input as well. I have my reading of the game as well. But eventually, you work on instinct and my captaincy philosophy is to take a call on that point that seems right to you, keeping in mind of where the game is going. I try to analyse these things on the ground," he said.

The skipper further praised pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his fiery bowling performance in the two-match series.

"To come out and bowl like that in this kind of conditions shows how much skill and ability he has. Someone like Bumrah, he's never out of the game whatever the conditions are," said the skipper.

"To bowl on certain pitches, you need certain skill-sets. And he seems to bring those skill-sets into the game depending on what sort of assistance he has from the pitch. In Mohali, we saw a different sort of pitch and he was still effective. This was a different kind of pitch. it was turning and bouncing and everything was happening for spinners," he added.

Resuming the post-Tea session at 151/4, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella struck a 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket. The 55-run partnership was broken by left-arm spinner Axar Patel who dismissed wicket-keeper batter Dickwella for 12 after he was stumped by wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.

Charith Asalanka joined his skipper but could not do much as he became the second victim of Axar Patel, caught by Rohit Sharma for 5 to put Lankans in further trouble at 180/6.

Karunaratne kept the fight on as he went on to notch up his century and along with Lasith Embuldeniya took Sri Lanka's total beyond the 200-run mark.

Jasprit Bumrah was again introduced into the attack and the pacer cleaned up the centurion Karunaratne for 107 with the visitors losing their seventh wicket for 204. In the next over, Lasith Embuldeniya was dismissed leg before wicket for 2.

Bumrah struck for the third time in the innings as he cleaned up tail-ender Suranga Lakmal for 1 picking up his eighth wicket of the match. Ashwin delivered the final blow as he dismissed Vishwa Fernando for 2 to bowl out visitors for 208. Ashwin finished with 4 wickets in the second innings.

This was India's third day-night Test match victory on home soil in as many matches.