Greg Chappell Hails Rishabh Pant's Revolutionary Impact on Cricket

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is transforming the game with his unconventional batting style. Chappell lauded Pant as a "match-winner," noting his near game-changing performance 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 loss in the Headingley Test, Pant's remarkable centuries in both innings underscored his ability to shift the momentum of a match.

Chappell emphasized the significance of Pant's rapid scoring rate, stating, "The beauty of it (Pant's batting) is that he gets his runs at a very fast rate, which gives you time to win cricket matches." He added, "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."

Pant's performance at Headingley made him only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to achieve the milestone of scoring a century in each innings of a Test match.

Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai on Wednesday (June 25), Chappell commented on the influence of modern technology and bats on the game, noting that they enable shots previously impossible. "But man, he's exciting to watch," Chappell added. "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."

Drawing comparisons, Chappell, a highly respected former Australian batter, 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 Promising Captaincy Debut

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's performance as captain, expressing optimism for his future in the role. He stated, "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."

He continued, "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."

Chappell concluded, "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."