Pant Revolutionizing Cricket, Says Chappell: Unconventional Style Redefining the Game

Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is transforming the game of cricket with his unconventional batting style. The former India coach lauded Pant as a "match-winner" who "very nearly made the difference" at Headingley.

India faced defeat in the Headingley Test, but Pant's remarkable performance, including centuries in both innings, highlighted his ability to change the game's momentum.

Rishabh Pant celebrating his century against England © AFP

"The beauty of it is that he gets his runs at a very fast rate, which gives you time to win cricket matches," Chappell stated. "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 the second wicketkeeper-batter, following Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match.

Chappell commented on modern technology and bat advancements, acknowledging their impact on shot-making. However, he emphasized Pant's exciting and unpredictable style. "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 made these remarks at a promotional event in Mumbai.

Chappell, a highly respected former Australian batter, compared Pant to Adam Gilchrist, another celebrated wicketkeeper.

"What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team," he exclaimed. "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."

Gill's Captaincy Shows Promise

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's performance as captain, suggesting he demonstrated promise and has room to grow. "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 continued, "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. 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."