MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant can't be compared: Bharat Arun
Young sensation Rishabh Pant was the talking point post the fourth ODI loss against Australia, due to his poor wicket-keeping skills. Further, fans also compared his skills with those of MS Dhoni. In the same light, India's bowling coach Bharat Arun feels that it is highly unfair to compare the two as Dhoni is at a different level altogether. Here's what Arun said.
Pant's lackluster performance in Mohali
While Pant had a good day with the bat in Mohali, scoring 36 of 24 deliveries, it was his rusty performance behind the stumps that probably cost India the match. He dropped Ashton Turner, who went on to score a match-winning unbeaten 84, and also missed two stumpings. Moreover, he got a DRS call wrong and received backlash from the fans for the same.
"Unfair to compare Dhoni and Pant"
Speaking on Pant's comparison with Dhoni, Arun said, "Dhoni's stature is huge. He is a legend. His work behind the stumps is exemplary. When Virat [Kohli] needs someone to talk to, he is a huge influence on the team."
Vijay Shankar's all-round dominance impresses Arun
Meanwhile, all-rounder Vijay Shankar has been in discussions of late owing to his impressive all-round performance. While he was a star with the bat in the opening ODI, the second ODI saw him dominate with the ball. He was also the most economical bowlers in Mohali, as Arun feels that the confidence of his batting is flowing into his bowling, while he keeps improving.
Team combination set for ICC World Cup 2019?
While India still continue to experiment with their playing XI, Arun believes that the team combination is set for the upcoming ICC World Cup. Nonetheless, he also believes that there is no harm for the team in trying out all the possible options before the tournament, as they can't leave any room for error during the marquee event.
