Greg Chappell Hails Rishabh Pant's Explosive Batting, Sees Adam Gilchrist Echoes

Greg Chappell Lauds Rishabh Pant, Sees Echoes of Adam Gilchrist

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 comparisons between his impact and that of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist.

Rishabh Pant scored smashing centuries in both innings against England (Image via AP/Scott Heppell)

Pant, now the Test vice-captain for India, achieved a rare feat, becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter in history, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, to score a century in both innings of a Test match. His aggressive batting was a major highlight of the series opener at Headingley, despite India's five-wicket defeat to England on the final day.

"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. 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 remarked at a recent event in Mumbai.

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.

Pant's unpredictability and ability to keep bowlers guessing have also impressed 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.

Recalling his initial assessment of Pant, Chappell stated, "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 have propelled him to a career-best seventh position in the ICC Test rankings for batters. India aims to leverage his explosive form in the second Test, commencing on July 2, with a victory securing a series-leveling result for the visitors.