Former England captain Michael Vaughan showered praise on Rishabh Pant after the opening Test match at Leeds, Headingley. England won the first Test by five wickets but Pant impressed with the bat in both innings. After scoring a brilliant knock of 134 runs in the first innings, Pant backed it with another hundred in the second essay. The left-hander scored a majestic knock of 118 runs off 140 balls and added 195 runs with KL Rahul, who scored 137 runs.
This was Pant’s eighth Test century as he continues to impress in the red-ball version. Pant is the first Indian batter to score twin centuries in a Test match in English conditions. The left-hander also became the seventh Indian batter to score two centuries in a Test match and became the second wicket-keeper after Andy Flower to score hundreds in each innings of a Test.
Talking about Pant’s batting on the first episode of the Stick to Cricket show, Vaughan said: “There’s a lot of science in that madness the way that he plays. You can see even Ben Stokes is admiring when he’s batting.”
Vaughan highlighted that Pant’s Test record is better than his white-ball record.
Vaughan went on to add: “Adam Gilchrist for me is the best wicketkeeper-batter. But Pant just set a new trend. I mean MS Dhoni, across white ball cricket, was fantastic. You would think with the way that he plays, Pant would be completely suited to the white ball game and not so much the Test game, But his Test record is miles better than his white ball record.”
On the other hand, former England captain Sir Alastair Cook said Pant is a fierce competitor and wants to win at any cost.
“That smile doesn’t mean he doesn’t like (to win). Or that he’s not the most competitive (player). You don’t score two centuries and not really want to. He could have tossed (been casual in the second innings) and said I’ve scored a hundred in the first innings. But he didn’t.”
Pant has been consistently delivering the goods in the red-ball version and he would look to carry the good show. The second Test match between India and England will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from July 2nd onwards.
