After Rishabh Pant’s fifty in the first Test against Sri Lanka, former India player Aakash Chopra has claimed that Pant has been the country’s best-ever wicketkeeper-batter in the longest format as well. He also added that the unconventional batter makes one fall in love with Test cricket as well. However, Pant scored 66 runs off 69 balls in Team India’s second-innings total of 193 in Galle on Tuesday, August 18. Notably, Sri Lanka ended Day 4 at 84/4 in their second innings while chasing a 372-run target as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “It was once again a reminder that there hasn’t been a better keeper-batter in Indian Test cricket history. He consistently scores runs, is efficient behind the wickets, drives the team, and keeps them awake with his non-stop commentary from behind, and he is the X-factor. Very few people force you to romance Test cricket. He is that guy.”
“Rishabh Pant’s story has been very interesting. He evokes emotion. He is a player like that. When you see him playing, either you like him, or you actually hate him. Sometimes when you like him also, you still feel a particular thing has gone wrong,” he again added.
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“Then that ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid’ statement also comes, and then when he bats like this, the same commentator – I am talking about the great Sunil Gavaskar – says how well he bats. He will make your emotions oscillate like a car wiper. It means that if Rishabh is playing, entertainment is guaranteed,” he shared.
However, Aakash Chopra also stated that Rishabh Pant raises his game in difficult circumstances.
“When the circumstances become slightly tough, that brings the best out of him. Everyone has a particular way of playing. Generally, when things change, especially when the pitch starts doing a little more, seam or spin, something different is demanded of you,” he said.
“You cannot play normally. In doing so, everyone goes away from their character and fails many times. Rishabh Pant’s character is ideal for these circumstances. Whether it’s the first or fourth innings, the pitch is seaming or friendly, it doesn’t matter to him. He plays like this only. He plays an extremely high-risk game,” he concluded.
