Former England captain Michael Vaughan was all praise for India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant after the Indian wicket-keeper produced one of the finest batting performances by an overseas player in England. Vaughan, speaking in the aftermath of the Headingley Test, placed Pant in elite company alongside Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni. He noted that even Ben Stokes, England’s captain, appeared to be admiring Pant’s batting during the first Test.
India may have gone 0-1 down in the five-match Test series against England after a defeat in Leeds. However, one performance from the visitors stood tall amid the rubble. Pant scored twin centuries in the fixture with a brand of batting rarely seen in English conditions.
He became the second wicket-keeper after Andy Flower to score hundreds in both innings of a Test match. He is now the first Indian to have this feat while batting in England. The records do not stop here. Rishabh Pant has scored the most Test centuries (8) by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, surpassing MS Dhoni’s tally of 6.
Also read: "Rishabh Has Redefined the Role": Vaughan Compares Rishabh Pant to Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni
Michael Vaughan in Awe of Rishabh Pant’s Genius
Vaughan elaborated on what makes Pant such a special cricketer, especially in the red-ball format where his numbers now far exceed his white-ball stats. He even said that Ben Stokes was admiring his batting.
The former England skipper also pointed out how Pant’s game defies traditional logic. With his aggressive instincts and flamboyant shot-making, many expected him to dominate white-ball cricket. However, it is in the longer format that Pant has come of age, scoring overseas hundreds in Australia, South Africa and England.
"There’s a lot of science in that madness the way that he plays. You can see even Ben Stokes is admiring when he’s batting. Adam Gilchrist for me is the best wicketkeeper-batter. But Pant just set a new trend. I mean MS Dhoni, across white ball cricket, was fantastic. You would think with the way that he plays, Pant would be completely suited to the white ball game and not so much the Test game, But his Test record is miles better than his white ball record," Vaughan said as quoted on the Stick to Cricket show.
Alastair Cook on Rishabh Pant’s Hunger to Compete
Adding to the chorus of admiration, former England captain Alastair Cook offered his own perspective on Pant, especially the way he backed up his first-innings hundred with another century in the second.
Cook noted that Pant’s smile might give the impression of a carefree attitude, but it masks a steely desire to win.
"That smile doesn’t mean he doesn’t like (to win). Or that he’s not the most competitive (player). You don’t score two centuries and not really want to. He could have tossed (been casual in the second innings) and said I’ve scored a hundred in the first innings. But he didn’t."
Notably, none of Pant's Test tons in SENA countries have come in a win for India. He would want to change this record when Shubman Gill and Co. next face England at Edgbaston in the second Test, starting July 2.
Also read: Ravi Ashwin: “Unfair to Compare MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant”
