Rishabh Pant Technical Adjustments for Test Cricket 2026 Take Shape Ahead of Afghanistan Clash

Rishabh Pant technical adjustments for Test cricket 2026 have become a quiet priority as the wicketkeeper-batter prepares for India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan beginning June 6 in Mullanpur. After a bruising IPL campaign with Lucknow Super Giants and the loss of the Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul, Pant returns to the format where his raw talent has always shone brightest. The 28-year-old has already played 49 Tests, scoring 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91, including 94 sixes that make him India’s leading six-hitter in the longest format.

Coaches see room to sharpen the edges. The message is clear: keep the fearlessness, but add layers of control and better decision-making.

The Grip Issue That Surfaced in White-Ball Now Demands a Closer Look in Reds

Batting coach Zubin Bharucha highlighted a subtle but stubborn flaw in Pant’s bottom-hand grip during the IPL season. The left hand sits rotated too far clockwise on the handle, past the ideal position. This leaves the bat face slightly open on contact and allows the bottom hand to slip off during impact.

The result? Reduced power, inconsistent contact, and an off-side game that has suffered. In white-ball cricket the problem stands out because fields are spread out. In Test cricket the same technical quirk gives Pant more margin because the gaps are smaller and the ball stays in play longer. Still, fixing it would remove one more variable when the pressure rises.

Early signs in the nets suggest Pant has started making small rotations to bring the hands into better sync. The change looks minor on video, but at this level those fractions matter when a 140 km/h delivery arrives.

Childhood Coach Pushes Vertical Play and Off-Side Emphasis

Devender Sharma, who has known Pant since his early days, delivered a blunt assessment just before the squad announcement. He believes Pant has drifted toward too many horizontal shots — pulls, cuts, and reverse sweeps — that cost him his wicket in recent red-ball outings. The fix, Sharma said, lies in playing more vertical and trusting the off-side channels again.

“When you are not getting runs, you need to get back to basics,” Sharma told PTI. He wants Pant to show “controlled aggression” and concentrate on playing the ball later rather than committing early to big shots across the line.

The advice aligns with what the current coaching staff has observed. In the recent home series against South Africa, Pant’s average dipped to 12.25 across four innings. Some of those dismissals came from forcing shots that did not need to be played.

Nets at Mullanpur Reveal a Clear Shift in Focus

Two days out from the Afghanistan Test, temperatures climbed past 40 degrees Celsius at the venue. Pant trained in a blue floppy hat, moving between catching drills and batting practice on the B ground. Observers noted he spent long stretches defending against local spinners, leaning forward with a pronounced front-foot stride and keeping the ball under his eyes.

Every so often he would break the pattern and launch one straight back over the bowler’s head, reminding everyone the power remains intact. The session felt deliberate. This was not about hitting 20 sixes in a net. It was about rebuilding rhythm and trust in the defensive game that once made him such a difficult opponent in Tests.

Behind the scenes, Pant was seen deep in conversation with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The topic, according to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, centered on how a senior player carries himself and communicates intent without needing a formal title.

Situational Awareness Becomes the Non-Negotiable Adjustment

Ten Doeschate was direct in his pre-match briefing. “We need him to adjust his game to play according to the situation,” he said. The coaching staff still wants Pant’s brilliance and match-turning ability, but they also want him to pick the right moments to press the accelerator.

Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack will test exactly that judgment. Playing too many shots too early could hand them cheap wickets. Playing with more patience early in the innings could set up the counter-attacking bursts Pant is famous for later.

This is not about turning Pant into a different player. It is about giving him more tools so the aggressive instincts fire at the right time rather than by default.

Why These Tweaks Matter for India’s 2026 Test Plans

Pant remains central to India’s Test vision. The selectors made that clear even while handing the vice-captaincy to Rahul. His ability to dominate attacks and keep wickets at the same time gives India a rare X-factor. But consistency has become the conversation.

The technical work on grip and shot selection, combined with the mental shift toward situational batting, addresses the two areas where Pant has shown vulnerability in the last 12 months. If he lands these adjustments early in the Afghanistan Test, the rest of India’s 2026 home and away schedule suddenly looks more stable with him at No. 5 or 6.

The talent never left. The task now is refinement.

“With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does. Occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the situation slightly more, that’s something you’ll see him work on.”
— Ryan ten Doeschate, India assistant coach