Rishabh Pant's Fearless Batting Redefining Test Cricket, Says Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell Lauds Rishabh Pant's Impact, Comparing Him to Adam Gilchrist

Former India coach and Australian cricketing legend Greg Chappell has showered praise on Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter's remarkable twin centuries at Headingley. Chappell hailed him as a game-changer, drawing parallels between his impact and that of Australian icon Adam Gilchrist.

Pant, who now serves as India's Test vice-captain, etched his name in history as only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to achieve the feat of scoring a century in both innings of a Test match. His explosive batting display was a prominent highlight in the series opener at Headingley, despite India's eventual five-wicket defeat to the hosts on Day 5.

Chappell emphasized the significance of Pant's rapid scoring rate, stating, "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." He made these remarks at an event in Mumbai.

Chappell believes that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting with his fearless approach. He leverages modern bats and his innate talent to redefine the game.

“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.

Chappell also admired Pant's ability to keep bowlers guessing. “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.

Recalling his initial assessment 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 aiming to capitalize on his explosive form in the second Test, scheduled to begin on July 2nd. A victory in this match would level the series for the visitors.