Rishabh Pant's Explosive Batting Draws Adam Gilchrist Comparisons, Earns Praise From Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell Lauds Rishabh Pant's Explosive Batting, Compares Him to Adam Gilchrist

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

Pant, now the Test vice-captain for India, achieved a rare feat by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter in history, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match. His aggressive batting display stood out during the series opener at Headingley, despite India's five-wicket loss to England on the final day.

Chappell emphasized the significance of Pant's rapid scoring rate. "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 an event in Mumbai.

Chappell believes Pant is revolutionizing Test match batting through his fearless approach, maximizing the potential of modern bats and his inherent 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 at the crease has 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.

Reflecting on his initial impressions 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 eager to capitalize on his explosive form in the upcoming second Test, commencing on July 2nd. A victory would level the series for the visitors.