'He is a package that can be extremely dangerous' - Ravi Shastri showers praise on Leads' centurion Rishabh Pant

Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri was all praise for dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant after his scintillating century in the first innings of the opening Test against England. Pant’s 134 off 178 balls, not only pushed India’s innings over 450 but also saw him break numerous records.

Pant, who has made a solid comeback to international cricket following a life-threatening car accident in 2022, first began his career under Shastri’s stewardship. Having played 79 games across all formats during Shastri’s tenure as head coach, Pant shares a strong bond with the Mumbai-born. Shastri revealed his impression regarding the southpaw and how his knock was against England in Headingley.

"First (he) is outrageous. I saw that from the first day I saw him. And I liked what I saw. Because he's different from the rest. He plays on his own terms. At times, he'll play the numbers game. At times, he'll just do what his mind says. That's Rishabh Pant for you. There's a package there that can be extremely dangerous in Test match cricket," he told BCCI after the end of play on Day 2. 

He attacks the opposition: Shastri

The youngster's innings was laced with 12 boundaries and six sixes, including a one-handed maximum to reach the three-figure mark. He celebrated his seventh Test ton with a somersault. The feat saw him surpass MS Dhoni’s tally of six hundreds to breach the most number of centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Notably, his 134 is now the second-highest score by a wicketkeeper at Headingley, only behind Jonny Bairstow’s 140. Shastri spoke about Pant's consistency at the No. 5 position.

"And I think ever since he's come into that No. 5 slot, he's been extremely consistent. If you're 30 for 3, for example, you might be tempted to send someone else. But with him, he's so aggressive, he can turn the course of the game. And then, for the others to make the most of it," the former head coach added.

The other way to look at it is, if he has got a platform like he got today, in this innings, comes in after lunch, with a score in excess of 100. He can really make you pay the price for it. Because of the range of shots and the audacity. I mean, the second ball, how many people will hit strokes down the ground second ball? So what? It's a message to the opposition. I'm not here to, you know, just fool around. I'm here to take the attack to you," Shastri added.

Pant, along with captain Shubman Gill's 147, the second-highest score by an Indian on Test captaincy debut, and  Yashasvi Jaiswal's ton, helped India post 471 on the board, making it the lowest total in Test history for a team with three centurions in an innings.

Despite the batting brilliance, the home team made a resounding comeback. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope’s 122-run stand stabilized England's innings. Pope, who is batting on 100*, capitalizing on dropped chances to take the team to 209-3 at Stumps.