Adam Gilchrist and Rishabh Pant. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Rishabh Pant is one of the rare batters who has not changed his batting approach irrespective of the situation. His attacking of Nathan Lyon on the spinning deck on Day 5 of the Gabba Test 2021 was a testament to his fearlessness. Former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist has validated this aspect of the batter and termed the 26-year-old more attacking than him.
Gilchrist was known for his attacking batting while opening for the Australian team. The wicketkeeper-batter pairing with Matthew Hayden was a horrific sight for several bowlers. Pant with the least respect for bowlers while at the crease seemed to impress the veteran. Gilchrist also added that Pant is a ‘class act’.
Also Read: Bowling and batting are very separate sports in same game: R Ashwin
“I reckon he attacks a bit more than I did. I played an aggressive brand at that time, but Rishabh, he looks fearless. What I do like is that he occasionally puts a foot on the brake and absorbs a bit of pressure. So he’s a class act,” Gilchrist said on Cricket.com.
“He is, what you say, bums on seats and people pay money well and truly. I would happily pay money to watch him play cricket. So that’s a great quality to have, I think, if people are acknowledging in that manner because he gets the results, he’s a winner and a survivor, as we know. He’s all class in everything he does. He’s good fun, he’s got the humor. He knows how to go about a very serious business in a fun way,” he added.
The Uttarakhand batter was in marauding form against Bangladesh in the second innings of the first Test at Chepauk on September 21. He paired with Shubman Gill and added more than 120 runs in the first session of Day 3. He even notched up his sixth Test century in the process, finishing on 109 off 128 balls.