Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed Rishabh Pant to become India’s highest run-scoring wicket-keeper batter in Test cricket.
Pant has got off to a fine start in the Test format and he has already played some jaw-dropping innings in his young Test career.
Pant once again was at his best against Sri Lanka in the second innings of the second Test match. The pugnacious left-hander smashed a fifty off just 28 balls, thus becoming the fastest Indian batter to get to the personal milestone. Earlier, Kapil Dev had the same record as he had scored fifty off just 30 balls against Pakistan back in 1982 in Karachi.
Pathan believes Pant has shown great improvement in his game and there is a method to how he goes about his business at the crease. The aggressive batter took the attack against the Sri Lankan bowlers on Sunday and made great use of his feet to get to the pitch of the ball.
Pant had the license to play his natural game as India was already in a dominating position on the second day of the Test match.
Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports, “There is a method for sure, but what has impressed me the most is that there has been improvement in his method. Earlier he used to play shots only on the leg side but now plays shots on the off-side as well.”
“He now tries to find a way to stay on the pitch, doesn’t only try to hit. The record-breaking knock we saw, it was not that he didn’t play a defensive shot at all. The defense was also there.”
Pathan has no doubt that Pant will be able to break MS Dhoni’s record of most runs in Test matches for India. Dhoni had scored 4876 runs in 90 Test matches for India.
“He is just a 24-year-old boy, and at such a young age, so much improvement has been seen in his cricket. I believe by the time he finishes his cricket career, there is still a long way to go, you will see him play 10 years of international cricket for sure, he will become India’s highest run-scoring wicketkeeper-batter in Tests, I have no doubt about that.”
Pant had also scored a quickfire knock of 39 runs in the first innings and thus he got crucial runs for the team in both innings.
“He scored extremely valuable runs on a difficult pitch; there was a question mark on his consistency earlier for sure, but we are now regularly seeing a maturing young player. A gift is coming his way from Kapil Paaji.”
Pant has definitely taken Test cricket like fish to water and he would look to continue his rich form.
