I was getting frustrated after not scoring runs, says Rishabh Pant after match-winning 65* against Windies

Chasing a target of 147, Pant, with skipper Virat Kohli put on a stand of 106 runs for the third wicket to set base for a clean sweep

Rishabh Pant returned to form with a match-winning knock of 65* off 42 in the third and final T20I of the series against Windies in Guyana, and conceded that he had to fight through the frustration of failing in the first two T20Is to ‘fetch the desired results’ in the 3rd T20I.

“(I) felt really good about my innings,” Pant told BCCI.tv after the knock. “I was not able to score runs and was getting frustrated. But, I kept following my process and it fetched the desired results today.”

Chasing a target of 147, Pant, with skipper Virat Kohli put on a stand of 106 runs for the third wicket to set base for a clean sweep, after India had lost openers Shikhar Dhawan (3) and KL Rahul (20) inside the first powerplay overs.

While Kohli made 59 off 45 balls, Pant, after scoring 0 and 4 earlier in the series, notched up his second T20I fifty and hit the winning runs.

Pant also talked about the plan that he and Kohli had while chasing the target. “When I and Virat bhaiya were playing, we were thinking of stitching together a big partnership and take the game deep and then accelerate in the last seven-eight overs,” the 21-year-old added.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant is “the future, definitely” certifies Virat Kohli after 3-0 sweep

Prior to the third T20I, the left-handed batsman was criticised for his shot selection. But, the Delhi wicket-keeper batsman applied himself and backed his skill sets en route to a match-winning knock.

.Also Read: Deepak Chahar, Rishabh Pant star as India blank Windies

The former India U-19 vice-captain also added that he was constantly thinking about what he could have done differently to perform better. “There are various times that I get frustrated when I don’t get the runs. Then I think what different things I could have done to perform. There are times when I take the right decision and even then I am not able to perform. It happens in cricket and is part and parcel of the game,” he added.

Earlier, Deepak Chahar, playing his first match of the series, shone with the new ball and dismissed the West Indies top-order – Sunil Narine (2), Evin Lewis (10) and Shimron Hetmyer (1) early, leaving WI reeling at 14/3. However, Kieron Pollard (58 off 45) once again stepped up and steered the hosts to a respectable total of 146/6. Rovman Powall too played a handy knock of 32* off 20.

After wrapping up the T20I series, the visitors will now take on the Jason Holder-led team in a three-match ODI series starting tomorrow.