Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has stated that India’s wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has made us love Test cricket. Pant is well known for his aggressive batting approach and takes the attack on the opposition from the get-go.
The pugnacious batsman has the skills to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting. Pant has already played some big knocks for the Indian team in Test cricket, especially in overseas conditions. The southpaw had played a match-winning knock of unbeaten 89 runs in the historic Gabba Test match against Australia.
Furthermore, Pant also scored a fine knock of 97 runs in the Sydney Test match and helped India save that game. The left-hander scored 274 runs in three Test matches against Australia. Subsequently, Pant scored 270 runs against England in the home Test series and once again delivered with the bat.
In fact, there were doubts raised on Pant’s wicket-keeping skills but he was able to keep brilliantly for Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel in the series against England.
Irfan Pathan said while talking to Star Sports, “Rishabh Pant has made us love Test cricket. If we say that, not many people will deny it. Because he has played in a fearless fashion. He does the work that Gilchrist used to do, coming in at no. 7 and changing the course of the game.”
“He has made valuable runs and made the team win. This has not happened easily; the performance was not happening, the captain backed him. Wriddhiman Saha used to be the no. 1 wicket keeper of the team, and to replace him and make his place, centuries in England and Australia. Outstanding cricketer,” observed Pathan.
On the other hand, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra also heaped praise on Rishabh Pant for grabbing his opportunity.
“After that knock in Sydney and what he did at the Gabba, you have confidence in your abilities, but you have self-doubt also at times because of which you have seen the change in his game as well. If you are a 22-24 year-old kid, you will have ups and downs in life, and he has seen a lot at a young age. He has bounced back very strongly from it.”
