Rishabh Pant's Game-Changing Innings Draw Adam Gilchrist Comparisons, Says Greg Chappell

Former India coach Greg Chappell has showered praise on Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter's remarkable twin centuries at Headingley. Chappell hailed Pant as a game-changer, drawing parallels between his influence and that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist.

Rishabh Pant celebrates a century against England.

Pant's explosive batting display was a major highlight of the series opener at Headingley. He became only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, to achieve the feat of scoring a century in each innings of a Test match. Even though India lost to the hosts by five wickets on Day 5, Pant's performance left a lasting impression.

"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 that Pant is revolutionizing Test batting with his fearless approach, effectively utilizing modern bats and his innate talent.

"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.

Chappell was also impressed by Pant’s ability to keep bowlers guessing. "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.

Recalling his initial impressions of Pant, Chappell remarked, "When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist."

Pant’s twin centuries propelled him to a career-best seventh position in the ICC Test rankings for batters. India aims to capitalize on his explosive form in the second Test, scheduled to begin on July 2. A victory would level the series for the visitors.