Greg Chappell Praises Rishabh Pant's Revolutionary Test Innings Against England

Greg Chappell Lauds Rishabh Pant's Game-Changing Innings Against England

Former India coach Greg Chappell has showered praise on Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter's remarkable centuries at Headingley. Chappell likened Pant's impactful performance to that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, recognizing him as a true game-changer.

Rishabh Pant celebrates century against England

Pant, who now serves as India's Test vice-captain, etched his name in history by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, to achieve a century in both innings of a Test match. Despite India's five-wicket defeat to England on Day 5 of the series opener at Headingley, Pant's explosive batting stood out as a defining performance.

"The beauty of it (Pant’s batting) is that he gets his runs at a very fast rate, which gives you time to win cricket matches. It was a phenomenal performance; some of the shots that he played probably weren’t in the MCC coaching manual when I last looked at it," Chappell remarked during an event in Mumbai.

Chappell emphasized that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting with his fearless approach, effectively utilizing modern bats and his innate talent.

"He is reinventing the game as a batter. You know, modern technology, the bats are very different. You can play shots that weren’t possible with the old bats. But man, he’s exciting to watch," he added.

Pant's ability to keep bowlers guessing further impressed Chappell. "You never quite know what to expect from the first ball at any stage. He’s likely to jump down the wicket to the pacers, or he’ll play the falling ramp shot. You never quite know what to expect, so it keeps the opposition on their toes," he explained.

Reflecting on his initial impressions of the left-handed batsman, Chappell noted, "When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist."

Pant's twin centuries propelled him to a career-best seventh position in the ICC Test rankings for batters. India is eager to capitalize on his explosive form in the second Test.