File photos of Rishabh Pant (left) and MS Dhoni.
In awe of Indian batsman Rishabh Pant's heavy-duty batting off late, the recent of which was an 88-ball 91 against England in Chennai during first Test on Sunday, Nasser Hussain heaped praises on the batsman in his recent column for the popular British tabloid Daily Mail.
Knowing Pant's recent performances have earned him comparison with Indian wicket-keeping legend MS Dhoni, Hussain explained the difference between the two.
"Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of his predecessors as India’s wicket-keeper, was a very smart cricketer and that is what he would have done," he wrote.
"Dhoni was a different style of cricketer in that he played the situation, whereas Pant plays a lot more by the seat of his pants — if you excuse the expression. Dhoni went ballistic as a last resort. For Pant, it is the first course of action."
'A series-changing talent'
Pant displayed a familiar aggressive brand of cricket to score his half-century in merely 40 deliveries on Day 3 of the ongoing Chennai Test against England. His 88-ball 91 innings added the much-needed semblance to Indian innings after a top-order collapse.
Pant, who is known for his aggressive style of batting, smashed four sixes off Jack Leach en-route his fifty. However, it is worth noting that while Pant did go for the big hits, he was also equally wary of the deliveries pitching onto the good length and took calculated risks on his way to a fifth half-century.
"Rishabh Pant is an incredible, game-changing talent. Arguably a series-changing talent," the 52-year-old retired English player wrote.
"If he hadn’t batted in his no-fear style, if he lacked any self-belief, then India would not have won that match in Brisbane last month that completed their greatest ever series victory."
"Yesterday, it made for much more exciting viewing to have Pant playing that kind of innings. But don’t confuse him for somebody who simply has a slog. Until his dismissal, he had left deliveries from Dom Bess outside the off stump expertly and very rarely used his feet against him."
