5 days ago
IND vs ENG Tests: 'There's a lot of science in that madness' - Michael Vaughan leads praise for Rishabh Pant's heroics
Rishabh Pant (Photo credit - X)
NEW DELHI:
Rishabh Pant
's twin centuries at Headingley may not have been enough to save India from a five-wicket defeat in the first Test, but his sensational batting has won hearts and headlines across the cricketing world.
Former England captain
Michael Vaughan
led the chorus of praise, calling Pant "a game-changer" whose methods might seem mad but are built on deep cricketing intelligence.
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"There's a lot of science in that madness, the way that he plays," Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket show. "You can see even
Ben Stokes
is admiring when he's batting."
Poll
What do you think of Rishabh Pant's batting style?
Unorthodox and exciting
Too risky for Test cricket
A breath of fresh air
Needs more consistency
Pant's unorthodox and fearless strokeplay, including his trademark ramp shots and reverse scoops, evoked comparisons to the greatest wicketkeeper-batters in history.
"
Adam Gilchrist
is the best wicketkeeper-batter for me," Vaughan added. "But Pant just set a new trend.
MS Dhoni
was brilliant in white-ball cricket, but Pant's Test record is far superior to his white-ball numbers."
IND vs ENG: What UK papers are saying about India's loss
Alastair Cook
and David Lloyd also lauded Pant, with Cook pointing out the grit behind the glamour. "That smile doesn't mean he doesn't like to win," he said. "You don't score two centuries and not really want to. He could've relaxed after the first, but didn't."
Despite Pant's heroics — 134 and 118 in the match — India were let down by a fragile lower order and a bowling unit that failed to strike consistently beyond
Jasprit Bumrah
. England chased down 371 with five wickets to spare.
The second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starts on July 2 at Edgbaston.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
