He's A Long Racehorse - Kiran More Backs Rishabh Pant To Play 100 Tests For India

Former India wicket-keeper, Kiran More is confident that Rishabh Pant will play over 100 Test matches for India. More reveals how he met Pant when the left-hander was just a 17-year-old and has realized the potential in Pant.

Playing for a Delhi colts team in the under-19 JY Lele All India One-day Invitation Tournament in Baroda, in 2014. Rishabh Pant smashed a scintillating 186-run knock from 133 balls against a Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) XI, impressing Kiran More so much that the former keeper noted down Pant’s name.

Now, after plenty of criticism over his keeping, Pant has markedly made improvements – he took two splendid diving catches and affected a couple of sharp stumpings in the recently concluded Chennai Test match against England, which India won by 317 runs.

“Whenever I see a talented boy, I have a habit of noting down his name in my mobile. I said [to myself] ‘he’s a long racehorse’. Now, I say he is a 100-Test player, and not just because on Tuesday he was brilliant behind the wickets against England in the second Test,” Kiran More told IANS.

Everybody saw today what he can do: Kiran More

Rishabh Pant’s ability while keeping to spinners, especially on turning tracks in India, was always a big question. However, with his brilliant show behind the stumps in Chennai, he has shown the work he has put in.

Earlier, it was believed that Pant would not keep in India and will be replaced by Wriddhiman Saha – to which, Kiran More, who has worked with the left-hander at the NCA in Bangalore, says that Pant will learn only when he is given the opportunity to keep wickets in India.

The 58-year-old opines that keeping in overseas conditions is also tough, and Pant has done very well on both counts; More also feels that with age on Rishabh Pant’s side, the 23-year-old will only get better from hereon.

“Everybody had a question mark against his wicketkeeping. But I never had any. When you don’t allow that boy to play in India, how is he going to learn? To play abroad is more difficult than in India. That’s my simple argument. On turning pitches, a wicketkeeper is always going to come into play. Everybody saw today what he can do.

“He has taken some great takes; he has effected some great stumpings. On the way, he’s going to miss a few. But he’s just 23 and is going to improve and become the top wicketkeeper in world cricket. His attitude is superb; he doesn’t care. Of course, there is a lot of scope for improvement,” More further added.

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