India’s World Cup-winning coach and former captain Rahul Dravid has fondly reminisced about Rishabh Pant’s match-winning performance in the historic Gabba Test of 2020-21. Pant’s unbeaten 89* on the fifth day of the Test led India to a thrilling three-wicket win, securing a 2-1 series win against Australia.Dravid praised Pant for his ability to perform under immense pressure and break Australia’s 32-year unbeaten streak at the Gabba. Dravid’s big words for Pant came right ahead of India’s second Test against Australia which is scheduled to start from December 6 in Adelaide.
Rahul Dravid remembers Rishabh Pant’s Gabba heroics
“I think Rishabh’s was an incredible performance. Watching Rishabh there and chasing to get 89 to win that Test match at the Gabba, with everything on the line and such a depleted side, to put in that kind of performance under that kind of pressure-truly sensational,” Dravid told Star Sports.
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India’s former head coach also lauded Pant’s adaptability to Test cricket and how he quickly filled in the void left by the legendary MS Dhoni as India’s wicketkeeper-batter.
“What a special cricketer he’s been. He’s just taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. It’s just phenomenal. I mean, it’s hard to imagine that, after Dhoni left, you felt there might be some time for someone to come in and replace him. I’m not saying he’s replaced him, but certainly in Test cricket, his performances have been absolutely sensational,” Dravid further added.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 was a turning point in Rishabh Pant’s Test career. Prior to this series, Wriddhiman Saha was the preferred choice for the wicket-keeper’s position. However, India’s disastrous performance in the first Test in Adelaide opened the door for Pant, who seized the opportunity with match-defining knocks of 96 and 89* in Sydney and Brisbane, respectively.
Pant has an exceptional record in Australia, scoring 662 runs in eight matches at an average of 55.16, including one century and two half-centuries. The 27-year-old will be eager to continue his impressive form in the ongoing series and help India clinch a historic third consecutive Test series win in Australia. In India’s 295-run win over Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s series opener in Perth, Pant yet again played a crucial knock of 37 runs in 78 balls especially when his team needed him the most. The entire team was bundled out for a paltry 150 but he was the one who partnered with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who also contributed with 41 off 59, to take India to 150. Later India staged a stunning comeback to limit Australia to a lowly 104 runs. They went on to post a colossal total of 487/6 before declaring their innings and handing Australia a stiff target to chase. Australian batters yet again crashed and were summed up for just 238 runs and India ended up winning the match by 295 runs.
