ENG vs IND 2018: Rishabh Pant Excites Me: Sourav Ganguly
Credits: Getty Images

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly praised Rishabh Pant and hoped for a good knock from him after the youngster’s exciting show on day one of the third England vs India Test.

A batsman would usually get off the mark in Test cricket with a quick single. And if he is a debutant then even getting off the mark is a big ask. But Pant is an exception and by a big mile. On his second delivery in Test cricket, Pant came dancing down the track and struck the ball over the straight boundary off Adil Rashid’s bowling.

Pant came into the side after replacing injured and out-of-form Dinesh Karthik and it took him just two deliveries to justify the hype surrounding him. He became the 291st Test player for India after captain Virat Kohli handed him his debut cap before the start of the match.

England vs India, Rishabh Pant, Sourav Ganguly
Hope Rishabh Pant scores big: Sourav Ganguly ( England vs India, Credits: Getty)

The Delhi wicketkeeper-batsman came to the crease at a precarious time. England had managed to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane (81) and Virat Kohli (91) to claw their way back in the game. However, the pressure did not stop Pant from playing his usual game. At the end of the day, he was batting on 22 off just 31 deliveries with the help of 2 fours and a six.

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He also became the first India to open his Test cricket account with a six. Overall, he became the twelfth batsman to achieve this incredible feat. The other players are Eric Freeman, Carlisle Best, Keith Dabengwa, Dale Richards, Shafiul Islam, Jahurul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Mark Craig, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Sunil Ambris.

England vs India, Sourav Ganguly, Rishabh Pant
Sourav Ganguly is impressed by Rishabh Pant’s technique (England vs India, Credits: Getty)

And after the game ended, Ganguly took to Twitter to praise Pant and wished him luck, writing:

“Rishabh pant excites me ..I hope he scores a big one ..has so much time and uncomplicated technique ..good luck.”

Coming to the game, India finished the day on 307 for 6. Virat Kohli top-scored for the team with 97 while Ajinkya Rahane scored 81.

 

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