Rishabh Pant: Greg Chappell Says India Star is Redefining Cricket

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is revolutionizing cricket with his unconventional batting style. He emphasized Pant's ability to single-handedly win matches, noting his significant impact during the Headingley Test.

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

Despite India's defeat in the Headingley Test, Pant's exceptional performance stood out. He achieved the remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings, underscoring his game-changing potential.

Chappell lauded Pant's rapid scoring rate, highlighting its importance in securing victories. "His 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 is reinventing the game as a batsman," Chappell stated, praising the Indian wicketkeeper's innovative approach.

Pant etched his name in history by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, following Andy Flower, to achieve a century in each innings of a Test match.

"You know, modern technology - the bats are very different. 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 remarked at a promotional event.

Chappell, regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen post-Don Bradman, drew comparisons between Pant and Adam Gilchrist, another iconic wicketkeeper.

"What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team," he exclaimed. "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."

Gill's Promising Captaincy Debut

Chappell also acknowledged Shubman Gill's positive start as captain, predicting further improvement. "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."