Greg Chappell Hails Rishabh Pant as Cricket Revolutionary

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is changing the game of cricket with his unconventional and aggressive batting style. Chappell emphasized Pant's match-winning capabilities, noting his significant impact during the Headingley Test.

Pant's centuries in both innings at Headingley showcased his brilliance. © AFP

Despite India's loss at Headingley, Pant's remarkable performance, including centuries in both innings, highlighted his ability to turn the game around.

Chappell praised Pant's rapid scoring rate, stating, "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." He added, "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."

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

Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai, Chappell noted, "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. 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, a celebrated Australian batter, drew comparisons between Pant and Adam Gilchrist, another iconic wicketkeeper, emphasizing the value of having a wicketkeeper who can significantly contribute with the bat.

He said, "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."

Shubman Gill's Captaincy Debut

Chappell also commented on Shubman Gill's performance as captain, acknowledging his promising start. "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 further added, "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."