Rishabh Pant can take the game away from the opposition – Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels Rishabh Pant can take the game away from the opposition with his blistering batting.

Pant has the skills to turn the match on its head and he likes to hit the ground running. The pugnacious southpaw batsman is known to catapult his attack on the opposition and he can make a deep impact on the game if he gets settled.

Pant has been in sublime form in the last six months and he has batted at the top of his game. The left-hander had scored 274 runs in three Test matches against Australia and had played a key role in India’s win Down Under. Subsequently, he scored 270 runs in the four Test matches against England and continued his prolific form in the Test matches.

Pant had scored a match-winning knock of 89 runs in the historic Gabba Test match. Furthermore, he had also scored a fine counter-attacking knock of 101 runs off just 118 balls against England.

Pant is well known for his whirlwind batting and he is going to play a key role for the Indian team in the WTC final if he can get going.

“We all know what sort of player Rishabh is. He can take the game away from the opposition,” Ashwin told The New Indian Express when asked about the same.

“We have the luxury of batting the keeper at No. 6 and playing five bowlers, which is so crucial for the combination. His natural bat swing and fearless approach make him a special player and a talent to watch,” Ashwin added.

On the other hand, Ashwin feels India has a good chance of beating England in England for the first time since 2007, when Rahul Dravid led the team to 1-0 series win. Ashwin added that the current Indian team has the experience under their belt to go past England and they will have a good chance if they come up with a collective effort.

“England play good cricket on their pitches and they have shown how good they are in their conditions. James Anderson will make it as difficult as it can be for us. The conditions are key in England, but the experience that this Indian team has should hold us in good stead.”

“If other players chip in and make runs with Virat Kohli around, we stand a good chance to win,” Ashwin signed off.

India will play the first Test match against England from August 4.