Mumbai, January 3: India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant said he batted with restraint on the opening day of the fifth Test against Australia because character of the SCG pitch did not allow him to be in his customary aggressive self. Pant, who copped severe criticism from all corners for his callous approach to batting during the previous Test at Melbourne, made a 98-ball 40 in India's 185 all out here on Friday. New Day, Same Story: ‘King’ Virat Kohli Fails Again; India Collapse to 185 in IND vs AUS 5th Test 2024–25.

"In this innings, I wasn't in frame of mind where I felt I could take charge of the game looking at nature of the wicket. Sometimes you have to play secure cricket as there were occasions where I could have taken 50-50 chances but didn't," Pant said in the post-day press meet.

The left-hander also said he is evolving as a batter, trying to find the right balance between defence and aggression. "You want to bat the way that comes naturally to you but keep evolving and trying to keep a balance between attack and defence." he added. IND vs AUS 5th Test 2024-25: Scott Boland-Mitchell Starc Rip Through Indian Batting Line-Up; Jasprit Bumrah Gives India Some Cheer On Final Ball at Stumps on Day 1.

Pant admitted that a batter tends to complicate things when he is not batting well. "When you are not doing well you tend to overthink," he said.

Debutant Aussie all-rounder Beau Webster concurred with Pant's view on the pitch. "They (India batters) decided to knuckle down and made us bowl lot of overs. I am not sure what a good score on this track but we would have batted first had we won the toss," said Webster.

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