Ian Chappell calls Rishabh Pant ‘ideal keeper’ for Australia but with some riders
India was the first team to breach Gabba for the first time in 28 years in January 2021. While there have been many contributions throughout the series from many players Rishabh Pant was the protagonist in India’s historic win in the game which also meant India won the series. The Men in Blue will travel to Australia again in November of this year. Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell believes Rishabh Pant will have a major role again if India has positive results in the series.
“If Pant can perform at his best, he’s the ideal keeper for Australian conditions. If he’s able to continue with his agile performance standing back, that is what is required in Australia. You need a keeper who capably covers a lot of territory to both sides of the wicket,” wrote Chappell in his ESPN Cricinfo Column “Any keeper who fulfills those requirements not only improves the team’s fielding but also allows the slip fielders to spread wider to cover extra territory.”
Pant played his first Test against Bangladesh since his horrific accident in December of 2022. The left-hander scored a blistering ton in the second inning of the Test. “Pant’s ability to bounce back onto the Test scene is quite remarkable given his horrific car accident,” Chappell wrote.
“Definition a lot special, firstly I love playing in Chennai and secondly after injury, I was looking to play all three formats, this was my first match in this format and hopefully I did better. Definitely, it was emotional, I was looking to score runs in every game. Coming back to Test cricket where I belong the most, being on the field gives me pleasure more than anything else,” Pant would say after the Test match in Chennai on Sunday.
“Pant’s keeping standing up to the stumps drastically improved before his serious injury, following an ultimatum from coach Ravi Shastri. The fact that Pant progressed from being a dubious keeper against spinners to a very good gloveman standing up to the stumps, admirably displayed his willingness to work hard,” Chappell added.
