Rishabh Pant Revolutionizing Cricket: Greg Chappell Hails India Star's Game-Changing Impact

Chappell: Rishabh Pant is Revolutionizing Cricket

Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is changing the game of cricket with his unconventional batting style. The former India coach lauded Pant as a "match-winner," emphasizing his impact, even in matches like the one at Headingley.

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

Despite India's loss at Headingley, Pant's exceptional performance, marked by centuries in both innings, showcased his ability to turn the tide of a game.

Chappell praised Pant's rapid scoring rate, which provides teams with opportunities to win 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. He is reinventing the game as a batsman," Chappell stated, highlighting the Indian wicketkeeper's innovative approach.

Pant achieved a milestone by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match.

Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai, Chappell noted how modern technology and advanced bats enable players to execute shots previously 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."

Chappell, considered among the best Australian batters post-Don Bradman, drew comparisons between Pant and Adam Gilchrist, another celebrated wicketkeeper.

"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."

Gill's Captaincy Debut

Chappell also commented on Shubman Gill's debut as captain, suggesting he had a promising start and is poised for further improvement. He observed, "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."