Rishabh Pant's 'Revolutionary' Batting Redefining Cricket, Says Greg Chappell

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is revolutionizing cricket with his unconventional batting style. Chappell emphasized Pant's match-winning capabilities, noting his near game-changing performance at Headingley.

India faced defeat in the Headingley Test, but Pant's brilliance stood out. He achieved the remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings, underscoring his ability to shift the game's momentum.

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

Chappell highlighted the significance of Pant's rapid scoring rate, which provides teams with ample time to secure 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, showering praise on the Indian wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant's achievement places him among cricket's elite, as he became only the second wicketkeeper-batter, following Andy Flower, to achieve a century in each innings of a Test match.

Chappell commented on how modern technology and advanced bats enable players to execute shots previously deemed impossible. He added, "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."

Drawing comparisons with another iconic wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, Chappell, a celebrated Australian batter himself, acknowledged Pant's impact.

Chappell stated, "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."

Gill's Promising Captaincy

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's captaincy debut, expressing optimism for his future leadership.

Chappell noted, "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 concluded, "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."