Chappell Hails Pant's "Game-Changing" Innings, Drawing Gilchrist Comparisons After Headingley Test

Greg Chappell Lauds Rishabh Pant's Game-Changing Innings Against England

Former India coach Greg Chappell has showered praise on Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter's remarkable centuries at Headingley. Chappell likened Pant's impact to that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, hailing him as a game-changer.

Rishabh Pant's electrifying batting display left a lasting impression.

Pant, who now serves as India's Test vice-captain, etched his name in history by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to achieve the feat of scoring a century in both innings of a Test match. Despite India's five-wicket defeat against England on Day 5 of the series opener at Headingley, Pant's explosive batting stood out as a remarkable performance.

Chappell, speaking at an event in Mumbai, 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," he stated.

Chappell believes that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting through his fearless approach, effectively utilizing modern bats and his own natural 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, acknowledging the impact of modern equipment on Pant's innovative stroke play.

Chappell was also impressed by Pant's ability to keep bowlers guessing. "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 assessment of Pant, Chappell recalled, "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.