Rishabh Pant continued his purple patch in the longest format of the game as he smashed a century in the first inning of the rescheduled Test against England at Edgbaston and followed it with a spirited half-century in the second dig. With 532 runs in five Tests, the southpaw averages 66.5 this year.
In the first innings, Team India were tottering at 98/5 when Pant initiated a counter-attack on the English bowlers with Ravindra Jadeja holding down the fort at the other end. The duo stitched a 222-run partnership, which was pivotal in taking the team’s total to 416.
The wicketkeeper batter slammed 146 off 111 balls to put the home team on the backfoot.
In the second innings, the visitors once again found themselves in a precarious situation but the left-hander's sensible half-century (57 off 86 balls) was proof of his adaptability to the situation.
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In addition to his creativity during the innings, India's head coach Rahul Dravid said in the post-match press conference on Tuesday (July 5) that Pant showed a great deal of maturity. He also made light of the fact that the team is now used to Rishabh's aggressive playing style.
“Pant's century in Cape Town was also quite brilliant, he is doing really well in Test cricket. He keeps increasing everyone's heart rates time and again with some of his shots but we are now used to do that,” Dravid stated.
“We accept that he may play some shots at time that we think he maybe shouldn't play. I think we need to accept that a little because the way he plays, he can turn a Test around and he did that in this match and in South Africa. We can also see that he is thoughtful and does not take a wild swing at every ball. He waits for the ball and plays on his strengths. He backs himself when he sees the right bowler and that has been our message to him,” he added.
The former India captain also had nothing but respect for England as they successfully chased down a target of 378, their biggest overhaul in Tests with seven wickets remaining to tie the series.
“I would definitely say that the kind of cricket they have been playing in the last few months has been really good. They have been really good at chasing. That chasing is not easy in fourth innings in England. Whatever brand of cricket one wants to play, it depends a lot of the players and the kind of form they are in presently. When the players are in good form, your obviously play a more positive game,” he said.
(With HT inputs)
