Rishabh Pant is one of the most exciting cricketers going around the world and one can never predict what the maverick left-handed batter will do in the middle. In the recently-concluded Adelaide Test, which India eventually lost by ten wickets, Pant showed the world that he is never afraid of taking his chances. With India reeling in the second innings, Pant danced down the track on the very first ball he faced and smashed Scott Boland for a four.
Pant had come to the middle with India at 66/3. He immediately charged Scott Boland who had just dismissed Virat Kohli to launch him over mid-off for four. Pant’s approach has now found an admirer in England’s Harry Brook, who was recently named the Player of the Match after scoring 123 and 55 in the second Test against New Zealand.
“I don’t know if you saw Rishabh Pant last night run down the pitch first ball,” Harry Brook told reporters after England won the second Test against New Zealand to gain an unassailable lead in the three-match series.
Harry Brook likened Rishabh Pant’s approach to what England have been doing ever since 2022. ‘Bazball’ has seen Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum going hell for leather every time, however, this approach has also been criticised by several cricket pundits as England are yet to make the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The Three Lions even lost the Test series against India earlier this year despite winning the first match in Hyderabad.
“To have that sort of courage to get off the mark first-ball is something that we’ve done exceptionally well over the last couple of years,” he added.
‘Out there to score runs’
In the second innings of the Adelaide Test, Rishabh Pant even played a reverse ramp off the bowling of Scott Boland, in the dying minutes of Day 2, leaving the fans and commentators in awe.
“We say it all the time – we’re out there to score runs. We’re not there to survive,” said Brook.
Rishabh Pant, however, is yet to pass the score of 50 in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the Perth Test which India won by 295 runs, the left-handed batter recorded scores of 37 and 1.
In Adelaide, Pant managed to get off to solid starts, however, he was unable to make it count and go big. He scored 21 and 28 in the pink-ball Test.
Pant, who recently became the costliest-ever pick in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being picked by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 27 crore, will hope to find form and turn the tide for India.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy currently stands on level terms. India and Australia will square off in the third Test at the Gabba, Brisbane, beginning December 14.
