WTC Final: Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, NZ Bowling Coach Names Rishabh Pant as The Real Threat

Not long back, teams used to plan for Indian captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but Rishabh Pant’s recent form has made him the biggest threat for New Zealand ahead of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen feels Pant comes in with a very positive mindset and that is dangerous.

“Well, Rishabh Pant is an extremely dangerous player who can change the game on its head. We saw how well he did it against Australia and England. He’s extremely positive-minded, but with that comes potentially the opportunity to take his wicket,” Jurgensen told the Telegraph from Southampton.

Jurgenson reckoned the bowlers have to stay calm and make things difficult for Pant.

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“Our bowlers need to execute well, stay calm and make it as difficult as possible for Pant to score runs. He’s certainly a free-flowing batsman and a tough one to stop, which we should keep in mind,” Shane Jurgensen said.

Eyes would be on Kyle Jamieson when India takes on New Zealand feels Jurgensen.

“Well, Kyle has played with Virat at RCB and no doubt they would have exchanged some comments potentially leading into this final. So interesting times ahead. I’m sure it’s going to be great to watch Kyle,” he added further.

Meanwhile, the NZ side has already reached England for a two-match Test series against England before they play the much-awaited WTC final against India. A couple of matches will also give the NZ side an opportunity to adapt to the conditions. The Indian team on the other hand will not have that advantage as they will have no matches in England before the WTC final on June 18.