Former South African captain AB de Villiers recently shared his thoughts on Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s standout performance in the opening Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. Despite India’s loss, Pant impressed with twin centuries in the match.
De Villiers noted that while Pant’s aggressive style of play can be thrilling, it can also be frustrating to watch at times. The 41-year-old felt that during certain phases of the game, the Indian vice-captain wasn’t entirely in sync with the match situation. He mentioned that Pant came close to losing his wicket nearly 20 times before reaching 30 runs in both innings.
De Villiers acknowledged that Rishabh Pant’s risky style has paid off and praised his counterattacking ability as a key quality of a successful player. In the latest episode of his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers 360, he remarked (starting at 14:20):
“He plays with extreme risk. It’s sometimes going to frustrate the living daylights out of you. I can count 20 occasions where he could have gotten out for under 30 in both innings. But he didn’t, and that’s the most important thing. He is a player that takes it to the opposition, and 99 out of 100 times, those are your successful sports people.”
“I was on the couch, going, Rishabh, what are you doing? It’s not the time and place for this. But look at the results. That’s all that matters. It is a huge shame they couldn’t cross the line because he deserved to be the Man of the Match,” he added (from 15:49).
“No Need to Panic Yet” – AB de Villiers’ Message to India After 1st Test Loss
In the same video, AB de Villiers mentioned that it’s premature for Shubman Gill and his team to panic. He emphasized that with five matches in the series, India still has ample opportunity to recover. The former cricketer, now a commentator, shared this view (from 13:11):
“Lots of questions all of a sudden. I know there are a lot of media people around, writing the big headlines, ‘we need change’. I don’t think it’s time to panic yet. It is a five-Test match series.”
England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. The teams will next face off at Edgbaston in Birmingham, with the second Test scheduled from July 2 to 6.
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