Team India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was all over the England bowlers during his 101 run knock in the first innings of the fourth Test at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pant, who has matured a lot as a batsman in the recent past, earned praise from all quarters including former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar who stated that Pant treated senior England fast bowler James Anderson as a spinner.
Meanwhile, Pant walked out to bat with India in trouble after losing a couple of wickets in a patch. But the young batting prodigy from Delhi looked in control of things ever since he joined Rohit Sharma. The duo started the revival job but England came back to haunt with wickets of Rohit and Ravichandran Ashwin at regular intervals leaving India at 146/6.
Since then, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar added 113 runs for the seventh wicket as India secured a crucial first-innings lead. Pant slowly unleashed his shots against the English bowlers hitting 13 boundaries and 2 sixes during his 100-run knock reaching the landmark with a six off Joe Root.
Rishabh Pant treated James Anderson as a spinner – Sunil Gavaskar
However, it was the outrageous reverse slap over the slip fielders off James Anderson that earned the limelight. Fans went gaga over the shot with commentators admitting that they haven’t seen something like this before in Test cricket. Speaking on the same, Sunil Gavaskar said that Rishabh Pant treated Anderson as a spinner as he approached his century against the second new ball.
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And as he approached his hundred, and as the second new ball came he treated Anderson as if he was a spinner. A reverse-sweep against him, incredible batting. It was so good to see that he didn’t miss out on a hundred this time.
He was dejected after that because he was really looking to take the England attack to the cleaners, didn’t happen but till then… the partnership between him and Washington Sundar has taken India to safety,” Gavaskar said.
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Meanwhile, speaking of the game, India currently lead by 107 runs with Washington Sundar and Axar Patel in the middle. The hosts will look to stretch the lead as much as possible to throw England out of the game with almost three day’s play still left.
