'After he failed in Australia, he made a lot of changes...': Rishabh Pant's childhood coach Devender Sharma's massive revelation after his century in 1st Test vs England

India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant made headlines after smashing a century in the first Test match against England at Headingley, Leeds. The wicketkeeper batter's outstanding red-ball performance came after a forgettable series in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Pant, who is currently India's vice captain, faced a lot of criticism for his poor shot selection in Australia. Devender Sharma, one of Pant's childhood coaches alongside the late Tarak Sinha, revealed that he has worked hard on his shot selection before the England series.

"After he failed in Australia, he made a lot of changes to his defensive techniques and curbed his stroke play, which you also saw in the match. Pant is a match-winner," Sharma told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview.

"Before he went to England, we discussed his defense because his Australia tour didn't go well. We decided he would play fewer strokes and focus more on batting there. England's conditions are different; there's more movement," he added.

Rishabh Pant played a 134-run knock in the first Test and during his knock, he also went past MS Dhoni for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket, bringing up his seventh ton on the second day of the series opener against England. This was Pant's second ton in England; his first came during India's last tour.

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The coach attributed Pant's success in England's challenging conditions to his unique ability to "bat with ample time" and play from a "slightly deeper position."

"He scored a hundred last time in England as well. He has a lot of time when he bats, which is a factor that makes him successful in England. Playing in the second line gives him a significant advantage," he asserted.

"I feel that Rishabh is a player who can play all three formats. He isn't in the team right now, but I believe he will come back after his IPL failure. If you're a good player, you'll perform."

It was his first century since September 2024 when he scored 109 against Bangladesh at Chennai.