Rishabh Pant's Revolutionary Batting Hailed by Greg Chappell After England Test Feat

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

Former India coach Greg Chappell has lauded Rishabh Pant, comparing him to Australian legend Adam Gilchrist after the wicketkeeper-batter's remarkable centuries at Headingley. Chappell emphasized that Pant's aggressive approach is revolutionizing Test cricket.

Pant, who is now India's Test vice-captain, achieved a rare feat by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match. Despite India's defeat in the first Test, Pant's explosive batting was a major highlight.

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

Chappell believes Pant's fearless approach, combined with modern bats and his natural talent, is transforming Test batting.

"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.

Pant's unpredictable style keeps bowlers guessing, according to Chappell. "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.

Chappell recalled his initial impression of Pant, saying, "When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist.”

Following his twin centuries, Pant reached a career-best seventh position in the ICC Test rankings for batters. India will aim to capitalize on his form in the second Test.