Melbourne: There's a buzz in the air as Rishabh Pant steps up to the crease. Whether it's in India, Australia, or anywhere else, he has a knack for delivering what the fans crave without even trying too hard. What Pant aims for is exactly what the crowd desires — an exciting innings.

However, this tour in Australia has been pretty quiet by his usual standards. His performance has been underwhelming — 3 matches, 5 innings, just 96 runs, with a top score of 37, averaging 19.20 and a strike rate of 60.00. He’s also dropped some catches that have cost India, and he hasn’t found the groove needed to make an impact against Australia.

The excitement has been missing too — there was a nice six off a half-volley from Pat Cummins in Perth and a cheeky reverse pull for four off Scott Boland during the pink-ball Test, but that’s really been about it.

On Saturday, India kicked off their first training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. With the Boxing Day Test just around the corner, it was a great chance for the batters to get in some solid practice.

The session was pretty intense, with captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill concentrating on leaving as many balls as they could in that tricky corridor of uncertainty.

However, Pant's issues seem to be more mental than technical. He's batting ahead of Rohit and in the same spot where Travis Head has been aggressive against the Indian bowlers.

Usually, Australia’s top order faces enough deliveries to wear down the ball and exhaust the Indian bowlers before Head steps in. Unfortunately, India hasn’t managed to do that for Pant. Facing a newer ball has made things way tougher, leading to struggles for the left-hander.

As the session wrapped up, it was pretty intriguing to see Pant and head coach Gautam Gambhir deep in conversation in the nets. It definitely had a serious vibe to it. Usually, Pant's playful banter fills the air, but this time it was noticeably absent.

What looked like a spontaneous chat lasted about 45 minutes. They could have been talking about anything related to Delhi, their home base, but it’s safe to assume they were focusing on his batting.

The No.5 spot in the batting lineup has been crucial for launching counterattacks in this series, and Pant has thrived there over the past five years.

He ranks as the fifth highest run-scorer globally at the No.5 position during that time, amassing 1170 runs with an impressive average of 55.71. In comparison, he’s outperformed Head, who has 2025 runs at an average of 46.02. Now, India really needs him to step up again.

Instead of seeing it as criticism, the chat with Gambhir was really just a way to lift Pant's spirits. You could call it a pep talk.

Gambhir was known for this kind of support back when he was with the Kolkata Knight Riders before taking on the India role. He had a knack for boosting young players' confidence and encouraging them to play without fear. In Pant's situation, he’s been through similar challenges before. It’s more about helping him find his groove again rather than reinventing the wheel. Just a little nudge when things get tough.

After his talk with Gambhir, Pant bumped into bowling coach Morne Morkel, and they shared some fist bumps, with Morkel throwing an arm around Pant and giving him a few encouraging pats. It was a team coming together to support a player who has the potential to unsettle Australia’s bowlers, much like Head does against India.

Pant is a batsman who, when he's on a roll, immediately turns the heat up on the bowlers. He has a knack for finding gaps that traditional field setups miss, making him a real challenge to handle. In a low-scoring series like this, he could really change the game.

Later, as he was leaving the practice area, some fans shouted his name. He paused, chatted with them for a bit, flashed a smile, and headed out, leaving them grinning. He’s definitely a fan favorite off the field, and India is just hoping he can bring that same energy to the game.

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