Rishabh Pant: Battle-ready for India’s Test rigour in months ahead

There were no real surprises in the fact that India eventually dismantled Bangladesh by 280 runs in the first Test in Chennai on Sunday. It was the culmination of a number of standout acts from local hero Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, the pace attack, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant – but it’s the later who captured the imagination like none.

It’s not really about the effortless 109, Pant’s sixth century in 34 Tests which helped him equal his inspiration Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s number of tons from 90-odd Tests, but the quiet appreciation of how the 26-year-old defeated death to script one of the most improbable comebacks in his sport this year. If there was a seed of doubt as to whether he could last the rigour of the longer format – after having returned in the IPL and the T20 World Cup – Rishabh dispelled it with the disdain with which he swats those one-handed sixes.

The Rishabh Pant 2.0 seems to be more of a complete package – as he showed time and again with the way he acquitted himself in the No.3 position for his franchise Delhi Capitals, on the challenging tracks of the US and the Caribbean at the World T20 and now Tests. His return on time ahead of the demanding five-Test series in Australia from November will add some real balance and intent for Rohit Sharma’s men – as Rishabh had famously shown when India breached the fortress at the Gabba nearly four years back.

As the cricket fraternity continue gushing, a significant assessment came from the man with whom he has been evoking comparisons – Adam Gilchrist. ‘’Oh, he’s (the closest to me). I reckon he attacks a bit more that I did. I played an aggressive brand at that time, but Rishabh, he looks fearless. What I do like is that he occasionally puts a foot on the brake and absorbs a bit of pressure,’’ Gilly said in an interview with Cricket.com.

How does Rishabh stack up to the Australian great after the first six years of his international career, during which he has graduated from being the enfant terrible of Indian cricket to a real matchwinner? In Tests, Gilchrist has 5570 runs from 96 Tests at an average of 47.60 and a strike rate of 81.95 - compared to Pant’s 2419 so far from 34 Tests at an average of 44.8 and strike rate of 74.09.

Gilchrist was certainly ahead of his time in the way he approached the game and Rishabh looks a true heir his legacy – with his unorthodox methods already yielding him Test hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa.

 Looking back, one recalls the number of occasions when Rishabh started to enthrall and frustrate in the same measure in the initial years. During the 2019 ICC World Cup in England, he had come in for some severe criticism for a poor shot selection in the ill-fated semi-final against New Zealand. However, if there was somebody who had an unconditional faith in him, it was Sourav Ganguly – who had been seeing him grow in close quarters as a mentor of Delhi Capitals.

‘’In the next 10 years, India’s real big star will be Rishabh Pant. You all are not seeing it today, but he is next big star,’’ Dada had told in close circles. It’s difficult to assume what he saw in the young and somewhat impetuous cricketer as there were frequent bouts of criticism that his technique behind the stumps will not work in the longer format and someone like a Wriddhiman Saha could be a better choice.

 Well, Rishabh has for long put all such talk to rest. He utilised the outing in the humidity of Chennai to the hilt over the last few days and looks battle-ready for the heavy calendar of Test battles ahead!