Rishabh Pant: Greg Chappell Hails India Star as Cricket Revolutionary

Greg Chappell: Rishabh Pant is Revolutionizing Cricket

Rishabh Pant is not just playing cricket; he's reinventing it. That's according to former India coach Greg Chappell, who believes Pant's unconventional batting approach is redefining the game.

Rishabh Pant's centuries in both innings couldn't save India at Headingley © AFP

"He's a match-winner," Chappell exclaimed, emphasizing Pant's near game-changing performance at Headingley. Despite India's loss, Pant's brilliance shone through as he achieved a rare feat: scoring centuries in both innings.

Chappell lauded Pant's rapid scoring rate, noting that it provides teams with the time needed to secure victories. "His was a phenomenal performance," Chappell stated. "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."

Pant has etched his name in history as only the second wicketkeeper-batter, following Andy Flower, to achieve a century in each innings of a Test match.

Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai, Chappell highlighted the impact of modern technology on batting. "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." He added, "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 parallels with another iconic wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, Chappell described Pant as an "exciting cricketer" and a valuable asset to any 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."

Chappell also commented on Shubman Gill's captaincy debut, acknowledging it as a positive start despite the unfavorable result. "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."

He concluded, "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."