Pant's Revolutionary Cricket Reshaping the Game, Claims Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell: Rishabh Pant is Revolutionizing Cricket

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is transforming the sport of cricket with his unconventional batting style. He hailed Pant as a "match-winner" who nearly altered the outcome of the Headingley Test.

Rishabh Pant's impressive performance despite India's loss.

Despite India's defeat in the Headingley Test, Pant's brilliance shone through as he achieved the remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings, showcasing his ability to change the game's momentum.

Chappell lauded Pant's rapid scoring rate, emphasizing its importance in winning cricket 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.

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

Chappell, speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai on Wednesday (June 25), highlighted the impact of modern technology and bats on the game. "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," he added.

Drawing comparisons with another iconic wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, Chappell, widely considered one of Australia's finest batters after Don Bradman, 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 shared his views on Shubman Gill's performance as captain, believing he had a promising start and is poised for further improvement. "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 continued, "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."