There is no doubt that Rishabh Pant is one of the most entertaining batsmen in the current era. Once again, he showed his worth in the fifth and final Test match against England at Edgbaston. The 24-year-old scored the highest run by a visiting wicket-keeper in England. He scored 146 runs in the first innings and added another 57 runs in the second innings.
Despite losing the match, Rishabh Pant was the only positive for Team India, apart from Jaspirt Bumrah. He came in at a difficult position in the first innings when India were struggling at 98/5 and added a crucial 222-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja for the seventh wicket to take India out of the misery.
His innings helped India post 416 runs in the first innings, which put India in the driving seat. But in the end, some incredible performances from the English team chased down the mammoth total of 378 runs in the fourth innings. The hosts continued their aggressive mindset.
Pant’s performance has certainly gained praise from former cricketers. Even India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, couldn’t stop himself from praising the 24-year-old. He lauded Pant after the match during the post-match presentation.
Dravid said, “He is playing very well in Test cricket. Obviously, in between, he keeps increasing our heart beats with certain shots of his, but we have become used to that.”
Dravid also acknowledged the fact that sometimes it happens that he plays shots that he shouldn’t need to. But everyone needs to accept that it is the style he plays. India’s head coach also added that Pant can change the whole scenario of the match single-handedly.
Rishabh Pant appeared to be struggling in India’s five-match T20 series against South Africa. But against England, he just looked like a totally different batsman. He scored his fifth Test century in the match.