Test century

IND vs ENG: Rampant Rishabh Pant can afford to smile | Cricket News

Danijones2 hours ago05 mins

India’s Rishabh Pant (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) A few months ago, Rishabh Pant found himself at the dark end of a tunnel. His recklessness in both innings of the fourth Test against Australia at the MCG was seen as one of the reasons behind India’s series defeat, especially since the series was locked at 1-1 till that point. The team management was unhappy, Pant lost his place in the ODI first XI in the Champions Trophy while Sanju Samson seemed to be taking a runaway lead in the T20 scheme of things. The fact that Pant had a bad IPL as Lucknow Supergiants captain didn’t help his cause either. Since his India debut during the Nottingham Test of the England series in 2018, the wicketkeeper-batter’s place in the team had never been in doubt. The horrific car accident in Dec 2022 was obviously a massive blow but the spunky Pant always knew that the moment he was fit to play, he would be back in India colours. IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant opens up on chemistry with Shubman Gill and England challenge But all that seemed to be falling apart following the Australia debacle. Until Saturday, that is. The broad smile that is part and parcel of the Pant package was back as he lofted offie Shoaib Bashir for a six to reach his seventh Test century — the most by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter — to go past MS Dhoni. India have entered a new era and the management, despite its reservations about Pant’s white-ball game, has made him the vice-captain for Tests. It was a vote of confidence that the 27-year-old so desperately needed. But the beauty of Pant is that the added responsibility didn’t send him into a shell. He was yet to score on Friday evening when he stepped out to Ben Stokes — who was high on confidence after getting centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal with a beauty — and hit him straight over the allrounder’s head. Even the England captain couldn’t help but laugh at the audacity of the young player. Probably Stokes saw shades of himself in Pant.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Pant made things look ridiculously easy during his 134 and Cheteshwar Pujara, during the pre-match show, explained how the left-hander took the pressure off his partner with the way he batted. “When I batted with Pant, I saw his ability to throw the bowler off his line and length. Batting at the other end, it helped me as well and run-scoring became that much easier,” the former India No. 3 said. While the courage to go after the bowling is intrinsic to Pant’s attacking style of batting, there’s a method to his madness. Pant’s sudden burst of boundaries after a slight period of lull often wows the fans, but Pujara says it’s part of a plan. “You’ll see these sudden phases when Pant starts defending with a dead bat for a few deliveries. It is often to give the bowler a false sense of confidence so that he bowls in the same spot. He predicts the length very well and plays those ramp shots which may look quite dangerous from the outside,” Pujara said.

IND vs ENG: ‘No one expected him to do that’ – Who said what about Rishabh Pant’s somersault celebration? | Cricket News

Danijones3 hours ago04 mins

Rishabh Pant’s celebration after ton against England (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant has never been one to stick to the script, and he proved that once again at Headingley with a celebration as electrifying as his innings. After notching up his seventh Test century in classic Pant style, charging down the track and launching Shoaib Bashir over deep midwicket for a towering six, the India vice-captain stunned fans and teammates alike with a surprise somersault celebration.The move, equal parts flamboyant and athletic, quickly set social media ablaze and became the highlight of Day 2 of the first Test between India and England. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While Pant’s acrobatics wowed viewers, they also drew amused and admiring reactions from former cricketers and teammates.In a video shared by BCCI, Dinesh Karthik quipped, “Neither could I do the somersault like him, nor can I bat like him. When I was very young, my parents made me try gymnastics, and I was an utter failure. So let’s just leave it there because he’s doing it so much nicer when he celebrates it.”Former head coach Ravi Shastri also praised Pant’s unexpected flair: “At a very young age, he did a lot of gymnastics. He does it really well. I think it was unique. No one expected him to do that. Nothing wrong with it — though if I tried it, I’d probably end up in a swimming pool!”Cheteshwar Pujara, typically reserved, summed it up simply: “Rishabh being Rishabh. He does something unique.” Yashasvi Jaiswal credits Shubman Gill after maiden Test ton in England: ‘I love it’ Pant’s celebration mirrored one he had pulled off during the IPL earlier this year, but seeing it on the Test stage added a new level of surprise. His innings — a blistering 134 off 178 balls with 12 fours and six sixes — came at a crucial time, forging a vital partnership with Shubman Gill (147) to push India beyond the 400-run mark.As fans marvelled at the shot-making, it was the flip that stole the spotlight — a moment that perfectly encapsulated Pant’s spirit: fearless, fun, and fiercely unforgettable.

IND vs ENG: ⁠From ‘stupid, stupid, stupid’ to ‘superb, superb, superb’ – Sunil Gavaskar applauds Rishabh Pant’s hundred at Headingley | Cricket News

Danijones19 hours ago03 mins

Sunil Gavaskar and Rishabh Pant (Agency Photos) Six months ago, the words “Stupid, stupid, stupid” echoed through Indian cricket commentary as Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Rishabh Pant for his reckless shot in a crunch moment — a failed scoop against Scott Boland that led to a soft dismissal.LIVE: India vs England 1st Test Day 2But on Saturday at Headingley, in the same breath where Pant once drew scorn, he earned admiration. The left-hander brought up his seventh Test century in style, launching Shoaib Bashir over long-on for six — and this time, it was Gavaskar on air again, exclaiming: “Superb, superb, superb!”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It was a moment of poetic redemption. Pant, who had walked a tightrope of discipline and flair all innings, reached his ton with typical audacity — followed by his trademark front-flip celebration, now becoming a signature of his resurgence. Poll Has Rishabh Pant proven his critics wrong with his recent performance? Dominant India on Day 1! Jaiswal & Gill Hit Centuries | ENG vs IND 1st Test – Sahil from Leeds Gavaskar, who had once brutally criticised Pant’s impulsive nature, offered a far more nuanced assessment this time. Speaking on Sony Sports at the end of Day 1, the former India captain said: “He’s been measured in his approach, giving himself time out in the middle. But once he’s in and the bowlers start to tire, that’s when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack.”Gavaskar acknowledged Pant’s evolution — from being brash to being brilliantly balanced: “Because he gives himself that time early on, it becomes easier for him to play those aggressive strokes later. When he defends, it’s like he has all the time in the world. He’s got enormous talent — I’ve seen his centuries in South Africa and Australia, and this one is right up there.”Pant’s ton, part of a 200-plus partnership with captain Shubman Gill, helped India take complete control of the first Test — and turned a past critique into a present-day standing ovation.