Chappell Hails Rishabh Pant's "Game-Changing" Innings Against England, Cites Gilchrist Comparison

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 described Pant as a game-changer, drawing parallels between his impact and that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist.

Rishabh Pant celebrates a century against England.

Pant achieved a rare feat by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to score a century in both innings of a Test match. His aggressive batting display was a major highlight of the series opener at Headingley, despite India's five-wicket defeat on Day 5.

"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 at a recent event in Mumbai.

Chappell believes that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting with his fearless approach, leveraging modern bats and his own natural 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 unpredictable nature and ability to keep bowlers guessing have also 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.

Recalling his initial impressions of the left-hander, Chappell said, "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 upcoming second Test.