Greg Chappell: Rishabh Pant Redefining Cricket with Unconventional, Match-Winning Style

Greg Chappell: Rishabh Pant is Revolutionizing Cricket

Rishabh Pant is not just playing cricket; he's reinventing it. That's the assessment of former India coach Greg Chappell, who believes Pant's unconventional approach to batting is redefining the sport. Chappell emphasized Pant's match-winning capabilities.

India may have lost the Headingley Test, but Pant's brilliance shone through as he scored centuries in both innings © AFP

Despite India's loss in the Headingley Test, Pant's brilliance was undeniable. He achieved the remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings, underscoring his ability to change the game's momentum.

Chappell lauded Pant's rapid scoring rate, highlighting its importance in securing victories. "His was a phenomenal performance," Chappell noted, "some of the shots that he played probably weren't in the MCC coaching manual when I last looked at it. He is reinventing the game as a batsman."

Pant's achievement extends beyond just scoring runs. He became only the second wicketkeeper-batter, following Andy Flower, to record a century in each innings of a Test match.

Chappell also acknowledged the influence of modern technology on the game, particularly the evolution of bats. He said, "Obviously, you can play shots that weren't possible with the old bats. But man, he's exciting to watch. You never quite know what to expect from the first ball at any stage. He's likely to jump down the wicket to the fast bowlers, or he'll play the falling ramp shot. You never quite know what to expect, so it keeps the opposition on their toes." Chappell made these remarks at a promotional event in Mumbai.

Drawing comparisons to another iconic wicketkeeper, Chappell likened Pant to Adam Gilchrist. He said, "What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team. When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist. You know the difference that it can make to a team to have a wicketkeeper that can bat at that level and score runs quickly."

Shubman Gill's Captaincy Debut

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's performance as captain. He said, "It was a terrific Test match. Sadly, India didn't finish up on the correct side, but there were a lot of good things that they did. Shubman Gill had a great start to his career as a Test match captain. As a player, maybe the result didn't go the right way, but conditions were probably better for him on the last day than they were at any other stage in the Test match."

He added, "So he will have learned a lot from that. The Indian think tank will have learned a lot from what happened in the Test match. He will only get better and better as a captain. Had the team taken a few more catches and, maybe, if the tail had wagged a bit stronger in both innings, the result could have been very different. But I think there are four Test matches to go. Let's wait and see, but I think he made a very good start as captain."