Rishabh Pant is 'Reinventing' Cricket: Greg Chappell Lauds India Star's Game-Changing Impact

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is revolutionizing cricket with his unconventional batting style and match-winning ability. Chappell emphasized Pant's impact, noting that he "very nearly made the difference in that game (at Headingley)."

India may have lost the Headingley Test, but Pant's brilliance shone through as he scored centuries in both innings © AFP

Despite India's defeat in the Headingley Test, Pant's brilliance was undeniable. He achieved a rare feat by scoring centuries in both innings, showcasing his ability to change the course of a game.

Chappell lauded Pant's rapid scoring rate, which creates opportunities to win matches. "His was a phenomenal performance - some of the shots that he played probably weren't in the MCC coaching manual when I last looked at it. He is reinventing the game as a batsman," Chappell stated, praising the Indian wicketkeeper.

Pant's performance made history as he joined Andy Flower as only the second wicketkeeper-batter to achieve a century in each innings of a Test match.

Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai, Chappell highlighted the impact of modern technology and bat innovation on Pant's game. "You know, modern technology - the bats are very different. Obviously, you can play shots that weren't possible with the old bats. But man, he's exciting to watch. You never quite know what to expect from the first ball at any stage. He's likely to jump down the wicket to the fast bowlers, or he'll play the falling ramp shot. You never quite know what to expect, so it keeps the opposition on their toes," Chappell explained.

Drawing comparisons, Chappell, a distinguished Australian batter himself, likened Pant to another iconic wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist.

"What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team," he said. "When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist. You know the difference that it can make to a team to have a wicketkeeper that can bat at that level and score runs quickly."

Gill's Captaincy Shows Promise

Chappell also commented on Shubman Gill's captaincy debut, believing he displayed promising signs and is set for further improvement. "It was a terrific Test match. Sadly, India didn't finish up on the correct side, but there were a lot of good things that they did. Shubman Gill had a great start to his career as a Test match captain. As a player, maybe the result didn't go the right way, but conditions were probably better for him on the last day than they were at any other stage in the Test match."

He added, "So he will have learned a lot from that. The Indian think tank will have learned a lot from what happened in the Test match. He will only get better and better as a captain. Had the team taken a few more catches and, maybe, if the tail had wagged a bit stronger in both innings, the result could have been very different. But I think there are four Test matches to go. Let's wait and see, but I think he made a very good start as captain."