Former Australia captain Michael Clarke feels Rishabh Pant would have regretted the shot that led to his dismissal in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test more. Pant was at the receiving end of backlash from fans and former cricketers after India succumbed to an 184-run defeat in front of a record-attendance crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the Boxing Day Test. In the first innings, he lost his wicket after trying to execute a cheeky shot. The plan was there in his mind, but when it came to execution, Pant fluffed and lost his wicket.

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who was on commentary at that time, was livid and didn’t mince his words while reacting to the chain of events he saw unfolding right in front of his eyes.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid. You’ve got two fielders there, and you still go for that, you’ve missed the previous shot. And look where you’ve been caught. You’ve been caught at deep third,” was Gavaskar’s reaction during commentary.

In the second innings, Australia captain Pat Cummins gambled on Travis Head to find a breakthrough. Pant was tempted to take on the part-timer and went for glory. He holed it to Mitchell Marsh and opened the floodgates that marked the beginning of India’s downfall.

“I think his shot in the second inning was one he’ll probably regret even more. The situation of the game, the building of partnership, and they were batting so well together, they really were stopping Australia from winning the Test match. I don’t think they were going to win the Test. (it was) muscle memory, and he just reacted. He saw it short and tried to hit it out of the park,” Clarke said on the ESPN Around The Wicket podcast.

“He could have hit it hard but probably should have just hit it along the ground. And when you are a big player and someone that’s scored Test hundreds, and there’s an expectation, if you are getting out like that, you are going to cop criticism. There is no doubt he is a wonderful player, just shot selection, it’s the right time and right place,” Clarke added.

Pant ended the fourth Test with scores of 28(37) and 30(104), summing up his underwhelming run in Australia since landing in Perth. Overall, in the series, the 27-year-old has managed to amass 154 runs at an average of 22.00 in seven innings.

File photo of Nitish Reddy.© AFP

File photo of Nitish Reddy.© AFP

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke said that the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia could be a “great opportunity” for veteran opener Usman Khawaja to announce his retirement at his home venue. With the series 2-1 in favour of the Aussies, the hosts will be heading for the New Year’s Test at Sydney to secure the series and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014. Khawaja, who has been delivering great returns as a Test opener since his recall in 2022, has not been at his best this year.

After averaging 67.50 and 52.60 during the last two calendar years, Usman is averaging just 25.93 in nine Tests, having made just 415 runs in 18 innings, with two half-centuries and best score of 75. In four Tests during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has scored just 141 runs in eight innings at an average of 20.14, with one half-century and best score of 57.

Speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast, the former Aussie captain said, “This is Uzzie’s home Test match, the SCG. He has been an amazing player, absolutely amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He is 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney to be his last Test.”

While Clarke said that he knows that Khawaja would like to keep playing, the Sri Lanka tour next year is a great chance for a new opener to come in and start his Test career.

“I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series. I know we have got a trip to Sri Lanka, and then we have got the Ashes. There is a lot of cricket in between, but I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match,” Clarke continued.

Since his comeback to the side in 2022, Khawaja has scored 2,705 runs in 33 Tests and 62 innings, averaging 49.18, with seven centuries and 13 fifties and best score of 195*.