Pant reinventing tests, says Greg Chappell while also redefining the way cricket is played in the modern age.
Greg Chappell thinks Rishabh Pant’s unconventional batting style is revolutionising cricket and changing the game. The former India coach exclaimed, “…and he’s a match-winner,” adding that he “very nearly made the difference in that game (at Headingley).”
Despite India’s defeat in the Headingley Test, Pant’s genius was evident as he struck hundreds in both innings, a unique accomplishment that demonstrated his capacity to alter the course of games.
“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. 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. Pant reinventing the game as a batsman,” Chappell said, lavishing praise on the Indian wicketkeeper.
“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 said at a promotional event in Mumbai on Wednesday
“What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team,” he said. “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.”