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A plenty of conversations have taken place in recent times, regarding Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s batting style and shot selection. Many former cricketers, experts and commentators have previously spoken on the matter as well. Some even found similarities between the Indian wicketkeeper and former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist also.
Now, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has opened up on the matter. Ponting did agree that they are “little bit the same” but he also said that Pant should “play his 50-60 Test matches” first before people can start having such comparisons. It is important to mention that Ponting had earlier shared dressing room with both Gilchrist and Pant.
Ponting speaks
“Yeah, [they are] little bit the same, I know Rishabh’s really burst onto the scene, but let’s just let him play his 50-60 Test matches first before we start making comparisons to one of the all-time great wicket-keeper batters,” the former World Cup-winning Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said on The ICC Review.
“But if you think about their personalities – Rishabh is a lot more outward, a lot louder, a lot noisier and ultra-competitive. Gilly was ultra-competitive as well, but a lot quieter and reserved, until he got his bat in his hand and then he became exactly the same as Rishabh,” Ponting added.
A big prediction
Ponting might tell to wait before one starts comparing Pant with Gilchrist but at the same time the 47-year-old former Australia skipper feels that “Rishabh will be exactly the same.”
“Rishabh will be exactly the same. If you look at Rishabh – I am not sure how many Test hundreds he’s got – but he has a few 90s in there. And he’s actually got out trying to bring up his hundred with a six. That’s the good and the bad, right?”
In the third and final ODI of the three-match series against West Indies, played in Ahmedabad, Pant had played a terrific knock of 56 runs off 54 balls. His innings was comprised of 6 boundaries and a solitary six. Batting first, the hosts had lost three quick wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma (13), opening batter Shikhar Dhawan (10) and former India skipper Virat Kohli (0) within a mere total of 42 runs.
Later, Pant along with Shreyas Iyer (80 runs off 111 deliveries) registered a solid partnership of 110 runs off 124 balls to help Indian team in averting the early danger caused by the West Indies bowling lineup.
