Former India head coach Ravi Shastri applauded Rishabh Pant after he lit up Headingley with a stunning hundred on Day 2 of the first Test against England. Shastri said Pant “plays the numbers game beautifully” and he has “his own computer”—one only he understands as well.

However, Pant smashed 134 off 178 balls, including 12 fours and 6 sixes. From the unorthodox shots to a post-century somersault, he brought both majesty and madness to the crease as well.

“Outrageous. He plays the numbers game beautifully, plays the way he wants. He will block for a bit and then shift gears,” Shastri said during commentary on Sky Sports. “He has his own computer and only he knows how it works. That’s his USP. That’s what puts bowlers under pressure and makes him box office – a real entertainer and a match-winner,” he added.

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“That’s why there was that celebration – thanking the man upstairs for giving him the opportunity,” Shastri said. “I think his recovery from that accident had a lot to do with the frame of his body and being in his mid-20s. When I saw him in hospital, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Knee in a mess, scars all over the place, bruises all over the place.”

However, Rishabh Pant reached his hundred with a one-handed six over mid-wicket off Shoaib Bashir as well. It was a shot few would dare to attempt at such an important juncture, but Pant did it with ease. However, Ravi Shastri also lauded Jasprit Bumrah’s stunning performance but expressed serious concern over the lack of support from other pacers during Day 2 of the first Test as well.

Speaking to Sky Cricket, Shastri said, “There’s a big difference in levels. The concern is Bumrah and what his workload will be as the series progresses, because he is the one man who is expected to pick wickets every spell he bowls. I just hope someone at the other end puts their hands up. India would only be hoping that one of the other fast bowlers raises their standard and delivers for the team.”