Former India batsman, Gautam Gambhir lavished high praises on Rishabh Pant’s performance after Day 2 of the ongoing Test match between India and England in Chennai.
After Pant’s batting brilliance in the first innings, where he remained unbeaten on 58 off 77 balls smashing 7 fours and 3 sixes, he snared two terrific one-handed catches while keeping during England’s first innings to dismiss Ollie Pope and Jack Leach.
Gautam Gambhir opines that Pant is taking confidence from his batting and putting it in his wicket-keeping as improvements in his glovework are visible after receiving a lot of flak for the disappointing shows behind the stumps.
Gambhir says that Pant was superb while keeping to Indian spinners on a turning pitch and that the youngster will only get better from here.
“He’s just confident from batting. If you are batting really well it just reflects on your keeping as well. This is probably the toughest wicket to keep against Ashwin, Axar. He’s only going to get better from here on looking at the way he’s kept wickets in this innings. Obviously, it was a big challenge for him, and it’s only going to get easier from here on,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.
Pant is a great asset for Indian cricket: Gautam Gambhir
The former KKR skipper maintains that if the 23-year-old keeps on scoring such as he has in recent matches – Pant was India’s leading run-scorer in Australia and has two fifties in two matches this series – and continues to improve on his wicket-keeping skills, he would be a great asset for the team.
Gautam Gambhir feels that there are very few players in world cricket currently who are as big a game-changer as Rishabh Pant is for Team India.
“And I’m sure, over a period of time once he keeps scoring runs and keeps working on his keeping, he’s got to be a great package for India because someone who can bat at No.6 and change the game for India, there are not many in world cricket at the moment, probably Buttler is someone who can change the game with his batting skill and he’s a good wicketkeeper.
“So Rishabh Pant, if he keeps doing what he’s done in this Test match, he’s a great asset for Indian cricket,” Gambhir further added.
Meanwhile, the hosts have a stronghold over the game at the end of Day 2 in Chennai with a score of 54/1 in the second innings and a lead of 249 runs after bowling out England for 134 courtesy of another fifer from Ravichandran Ashwin.
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