Rishabh Pant reveals why he was angry at Cheteshwar Pujara

Rishabh Pant has opened up on the Sydney Test in 2021. It is to be noted that he missed out on a Test ton against Australia during the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. The keeper-batter was batting with Cheteshwar Pujara and the duo looked like chasing down the improbable target of 407 runs. However, Pant got out on 97 with the team needing 156 runs to win. Speaking on missing the ton, the left-hander how the advice of taking it slow from Pujara didn't help his cause.

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“‘Rishabh…try to stick. You can work in singles, doubles too. You don’t have to hit a boundary’," Pant recalled what Pujara told him during the innings in the docuseries named Bandon Mein Tha Dum currently streaming on VOOT.

Pant continued, “I got a little angry that they put me in this double-minded state. Because I like it when I’m very clear in my plans that this is what I want to do. We had built such a good momentum. In my mind the only thing at that time was ‘damn, what just happened?’ Because if I reached 100 there, it would have been one of my best."

The stand-in skipper of the series, Ajinkya Rahane has confirmed the wicketkeeper batter's statements. Rahane has said that when the Delhi player came back to the dressing room, he had said that if Pujara had not reminded him about the century, he would have reached there.

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‘Pujara from the other end was telling him to slow down. We can score runs later. When any experienced player comes and tells you, ‘Now wait, you’re on 97 and you’re playing well, but now if you play a little sensibly you can make your 100. He was backing his game but unfortunately, he got out," Rahane said.

“When he came in, he was disappointed and angry and he said, ‘Pujara bhai came and reminded me that I was on 97. I wasn’t even aware. Had he not said anything, I would have probably completed my hundred," he added.