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India looking for more from Pant

India selectors are looking for the talented youngster to find some more consistency with his game

India chairman of selectors MSK Prasad says wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant needs to improve his consistency behind the stumps if he wants to maintain his position in the Test side.

Pant made an instant impression with the bat during India's recent Test series against England, with the 20-year-old scoring an excellent hundred in just his third Test at The Oval.


But despite five catches on debut, Pant wasn't as consistent behind the stumps as Prasad would have liked, calling on the youngster to work extra hard on his craft to show he belongs in the Test team.

"I am really happy the way Rishabh batted in the last Test in England. In fact, we never had any doubts about his batting skills. My only concern is about his wicket-keeping," Prasad told The Times of India.

"Now that he (Pant) has the experience of three Test matches under his belt, he would have understood the areas that he needs to work on.

"We are also trying to put him under (a) wicketkeeping specialist coach(ing) for some time. Along with Rishabh we have identified a few more upcoming wicketkeepers who need to be trained under a specialist coach. I expect Rishabh to serve Indian cricket for a long time."

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Prasad felt the 1-4 series loss India suffered in the United Kingdom didn't reflect how close the series really was, but identified areas of the game that his side needs to improve on ahead of home Tests against the West Indies before heading to Australia later in the year.

"There were moments for us in this series which we could have capitalised (on)," he said.

"Bowling and slip catching has come up a long way in this series and we only need to bat well collectively when the team requires."

Hardik Pandya was one player to come under criticism for his performances against England, with the talented allrounder making just 164 runs from eight innings before being dropped for the final Test at The Oval.

"Hardik Pandya is an allrounder in the making. He scored a century against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. He batted well against South Africa in the Cape Town Test and performed well both with bat and ball against England in Nottingham. This clearly shows that he can perform in all conditions," Prasad noted.

"Only thing we expect from him is more consistency with both bat and ball.

"I am sure this tour would have been a big learning experience in his career. He will be a better player with the experience he has gained from this tour."

India host the West Indies in a two-Test series in October, before travelling to Australia for a four-match Test campaign in December and January.


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