New Delhi: India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been in nothing short of an unbelievable form in Test cricket in recent few months. Pant was the talk of the town on Friday on the fourth and final Test, as he smashed a century against England.
Besides his heroic knock, he also pulled off something extraordinary on the second day, a reverse sweep off veteran England pacer James Anderson became the highlight of his innings. His shot left the fans and cricket experts in awe. Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Pant for the shot and said that Anderson will remember this shot for a long time.
“Credit to him. You need guts to play a shot like that. This shot will remain in Jimmy Anderson’s mind for a long time. When he retires and thinks about the best shots that have been played against him, this shot will cause him pain because it is a question of ego that a small kid played a reverse sweep against such a big bowler,” Harbhajan said.
It all happened on the first delivery of the 83rd over when Pant brought out a reverse ramp over the slips to amaze one and all. Pant particularly gained applause for showing the audacity to play such a shot off a bowler who has picked more than 600 Test wickets. He also played a 113-run unbeaten partnership with Washington Sundar for the seventh wicket. It was yet another game-changing innings from Rishabh Pant.
“When he achieved the 206-run target, he got back to his real form which all of us liked. Jimmy Anderson would also be thinking if he is the same Rishabh Pant who was defending when he was bowling to him with the old ball and attacking him when he has the new ball,” Harbhajan said.
“Rishabh Pant’s innings was absolutely phenomenal. Since the time he has come back from Australia, the runs he has scored there, he is a totally different player. He is taking the responsibility on his shoulder and got a great understanding of his game and is playing according to the demands of the situation,” he added.
“His natural game is that of a stroke-player who can demolish any bowler but he showed today that if it is not required, you also need to know how to defend. He generally plays the big shots against the spinners but he gave himself the time to settle as the team needed him to play cautiously and build a partnership.”
