Rishabh Pant has been under constant attention since making his India debut. The talented wicketkeeper-batter has received rave reviews when he has won matches for India single-handedly, but has also fallen victim to harsh criticism when he hasn’t been able to take his side past the finish line. One such incident saw him on the receiving end of some harsh words from none other than, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. During a Test match against Australia, Pant was dismissed for 28 runs, after some poor shot selection and it left Gavaskar absolutely livid.
Speaking on ABP Sport radio, he said back then, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that (India’s) dressing room - he should be going into the other dressing room!”
The ‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’ phrase went viral and even Pant recreated it in a viral video. But now Gavaskar has taken a U-turn from his previous harsh criticism of Pant, and was left in awe during the ongoing first Test match between India and England, in Leeds. On Day 1, Pant remained unbeaten after scoring 65* off 102 balls, and showed maturity, alongwith aggression. He took on Ben Stokes on just his second ball, slamming him for a four, straight down the ground. But after that, he showed maturity as he was cautious against Shoaib Bashir, registering only 16 off his next 44 balls.
His approach left Gavaskar visibly impressed. Speaking on Sony Sports, he said, “It seems like that’s how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary. It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants. Over here, he's been measured in his approach—giving himself time out in the middle. But once he's in and the bowlers start to tire, that's when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries.”
{{/usCountry}}His approach left Gavaskar visibly impressed. Speaking on Sony Sports, he said, “It seems like that’s how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary. It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants. Over here, he's been measured in his approach—giving himself time out in the middle. But once he's in and the bowlers start to tire, that's when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries.”
{{/usCountry}}“Because he gives himself that time early on, it becomes easier for him to play those aggressive strokes later. When he defends, he seems to have so much time against the pace bowlers—it almost looks like he's taking the mickey out of them, saying, "Look, I've got all the time in the world; I don't need to play a big shot, I'm just middling the ball. He’s got enormous talent. I’ve seen him score hundreds in South Africa and Australia, and they've been absolutely unbelievable. There’s such a great blend of defence and attack—starting with solid defence and then shifting to attack,” he further added.
India reached 359/3 at Stumps, and Pant (65*) will resume batting with new captain Shubman Gill, who got a ton. Gill remained unbeaten at 127* off 175 deliveries.