Greg Chappell Praises Rishabh Pant's "Game-Changing" Innings, Likens Him to Gilchrist OR Chappell Hails Rishabh Pant's Fearless Batting: "Reinventing" Test Cricket Against England

Former India coach Greg Chappell has showered praise on Rishabh Pant for his remarkable batting performance against England. Chappell likened Pant's impact to that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, acknowledging him as a game-changer.

Rishabh Pant celebrates a century against England.

Pant, who is now the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, achieved a rare feat by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match. His aggressive batting was a major highlight in the series opener at Headingley, even though India lost to the hosts by five wickets on Day 5.

Chappell, speaking at an event in Mumbai, emphasized the significance of Pant's rapid scoring rate. "The beauty of it 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 said.

Chappell believes that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting with his fearless approach, utilizing modern bats and his own natural talent. He added, "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."

Pant's unpredictable batting style 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.

Chappell also recalled his initial impressions of Pant, stating, "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 will aim to capitalize on his explosive form in the second Test, scheduled to begin on July 2, seeking to level the series.