Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on Tuesday attracted lauds from one of the best glovesmen of cricket history– Adam Gilchrist– when the Aussie used a ‘#brilliant’ describing the 23-year-old’s stumping of Dan Lawrence. Pant’s first innings exploits with the bat and some useful wicketkeeping throughout the match helped India drive back into the series with a 317 run win.
What Was The Feat That Rishabh Pant Pulled Off; Video Goes Viral?
Pant, in the first session of Day 4 of the second Test match at Chennai put on display some acrobatics as he executed a stumping featuring a dive, leap and some attentiveness to defeat young English batsman Dan Lawrence’s stay at the crease.
What a stumping from Rishabh Pant ?? pic.twitter.com/Y5ufS3Kw3V
— middle stump (@middlestump4) February 16, 2021
It was the 26th over and Ravichandran Ashwin was attempting to fool an attacking Lawrence. The batsman stepped out too soon on Ashwin’s very first delivery in the morning to put the bowler under pressure right away. However, it seemed that Dan Lawrence’s move was much preempted by Ashwin as the off-spinner bowled a little more leg, passed the ball between Lawrence’s legs as he strode. However, Pant was too quick to take off the bails.
Adam Gilchrist Just Had To Respond To This Brilliant Work By The Delhi Capitals Star
Upon this Adam Gilchrist – also acknowledging Foakes’ fine show on Day 3 – tweeted:
Yesterday it was Foakes, today it’s @RishabhPant17 #brilliant
Yesterday it was Foakes, today it’s @RishabhPant17 #brilliant
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) February 16, 2021
A user took on the Tweet to compare the dismissal to that of Basit Ali by Shane Warne. It was a great spectacle to watch overall. Credit to Rishabh Pant where due. A job well done by him and Ravi Ashwin, helping Team India to a 317-run win.
“The last wicket of Dan Lawrence was beautifully set-up by R Ashwin. It was something akin to the dismissal of Basit Ali by Shane Warne (& Ian Healy) in the Sydney Test in Dec 1995 off the very last ball of play on the 3rd day!# IndvEng,” he wrote.
An English fan went on to draw criticism towards the batsman.
He said: “Just seen the Dan Lawrence dismissal! First ball of the day on a Bunsen burner! If I was his skipper I would kick his arse all the way back to the pavi!”
What Next For Rishabh Pant And Team India In This Series?
Rishabh Pant – often criticised for missing catches and messing up behind the stumps – had a good glove Test match at Chennai. He claimed a one-handed stunner, contained any extra runs and kept chatting to pressurize the Englishmen on a tricky spinning track.
However, it wasn’t Pant alone who created the wicket. Ravichandran Ashwin’s presence of mind and some smart cricket caused Lawrence’s dismissal. Ashwin rather had one Test match to remember for a lifetime. The spinner first claimed five wickets in the first innings then came on to score 106 runs off 148 balls before again dismissing three England players in the fourth innings.