IND vs ENG, Rishabh Pant Is The Spark We Need In Middle: Rohit Sharma

India opener Rohit Sharma called Rishabh Pant a "spark" that Indian team needs in the middle-order and has called on people to be more patient with his style of play that sees him get dismissed often

Since then, his stock has risen as he has played some sensational knocks. He first helped India win the Test series in Australia and then put India on the cusp of the World Test Championship final on Friday.

"But there are times when he will get out. I don't want anyone to get upset with that, because he is the kind of player who can play an innings like that, and from a situation where we were struggling, he can suddenly, in a span of one hour, [take you to a position where] your team starts to look different," said Sharma.

Sharma, who is India's leading run-getter in the series, was quite effusive in his praise of the manner in which Pant builds his innings, trusting his defense in the initial phase.

"In the first half, he was quite respectful. He was trusting his defence. Once we got to 200, he just wanted to take on the bowlers," said Sharma.

"In my opinion, it was probably one of his finest knocks. He was quite cautious at the beginning and then he actually flourished the way he batted and put the team into a commanding position," he said. "People like Pant...you need to back their skills and their ability on how they bat. [Team] management completely understands that. Of course, he has been given that freedom as well."