Greg Chappell, the former Australian cricketer, has expressed high admiration for Rishabh Pant, India’s wicketkeeper-batsman, for his impact on the game. Pant’s aggressive batting style in the opening Test against England at Headingley was a major talking point. Pant achieved a remarkable feat by scoring centuries in both innings, becoming only the second wicketkeeper in history to accomplish this.
Chappell stated, “The beauty is Rishabh gets runs at a very fast rate which gives you time to win cricket matches. His was a phenomenal performance. Some of the shots he played weren’t in the MCC playing manual. He is really reinventing the game as a batsman. With modern technology, the bats are very different and you can play shots which weren’t possible with the old bats. He’s exciting to watch.”
Chappell also noted, “When I first saw him, he reminded me of Adam Gilchrist…a different sort of player, of course, but…the difference it can make to a team when a wicketkeeper can bat at that level and to score runs quickly. You never quite know what to expect from him from the first ball. At any stage he is likely to jump down the wicket to the fast bowlers or play the falling ramp shot. You never quite know what to expect. It keeps the opposition on their toes. He is a match winner (and he) very nearly made the difference in that game.”
In the 1st Test at Headingley, Rishabh Pant’s performance was outstanding. He became the first Asian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. His innings included a score of 134 in the first innings, where he built a crucial partnership with Shubman Gill. He followed it up with another century in the second innings. Despite India’s loss, Pant’s twin centuries highlighted his significance as a consistent middle-order batsman and a game-changer in red-ball cricket, making India competitive.