India‘s highest run-scorer in their ongoing tour of Australia is Cheteshwar Pujara. That’s not a complete surprise – though most people would have backed Virat Kohli to be at the top. Pujara is the side’s No 3, after all, and he had a decent series in South Africa and England. He’s lifted his game to another level Down Under, and earned his spot at the top of the run charts.
Their second-highest scorer? Still not Kohli. He’s third, averaging a fairly pedestrian – by his standards – 40.28, and in all likelihood about to end the series with less than 300 runs unless India are made to bat again having scored 622/7 in their first innings. An unlikely prospect.
Kohli’s been outscored by a 21-year-old who’s on his first tour to Australia. Who’s playing only his ninth Test. Who isn’t even supposed to be a Test player, at least not this early in his career. Whose attacking strokeplay has thrilled IPL crowds, but failed to translate into decent form in India’s limited-overs side. Who has largely been a six-or-block player in Test cricket. Who keeps falling to obvious traps by spin bowlers who know this impetuous young Indian can’t help but try launching them out of the ground.
But when you score a century in your third Test, at The Oval, follow it up with two quick-fire 90s back at home in India to flay an already demoralised West Indies attack, and then show up in Australia and manage a handful of cameos with the tail, and then sign off with an unbeaten 159, it’s safe to say any doubts about your Test future can be put aside.
Rishabh Pant:
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) January 4, 2019
1st Indian to open a Test account with the six.
1st Indian keeper to score a Test century in England.
1st Indian keeper to take 11 catches in a Test.
1st Indian keeper to take 20 catches in a Test series.
1st Indian keeper to score a Test century in Australia.
Rishabh Pant has had a tough initiation into Test cricket. He isn’t even supposed to be here. Before the England series in the summer, India’s ideal first-choice wicketkeeper would have been Wriddhiman Saha – the best keeper in the country. But has has yet to recover from an injury sustained over a year ago. Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel had alternated as back-ups, and KS Bharat was ahead of Pant when it came to long-term plans.
But Saha’s injury didn’t heal, Patel was discarded, Karthik struggled, and, thanks to Pant’s IPL and T20 international stints giving him experience of playing high-stakes cricket – something Bharat didn’t have – the then 20-year-old was drafted into the squad for England, and then made his Test debut there.
Since then, there have been dropped catches, an inordinate amount of byes on tough pitches in England, and some soft dismissals to spin bowling.
But there was that swashbuckling century at The Oval that gave India a sniff of victory in an impossible chase. There were breathtaking innings against West Indies. And then this series against Australia, where he’s often gotten starts but perished when looking for quick runs while batting with the tail.
On Friday, given the chance to play alongside a well-set top-order batsman, he delivered the sort of innings that the player he often gets compared to became famous for.
Pant has now scored more runs (350) in seven innings in this series than Virat Kohli (282) and has scored more runs in Australia than MS Dhoni did across his Test career (311). At 21 years old Pant is the youngest player on either team in this series. What a talent. #AUSvIND
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) January 4, 2019
Back in Australia’s heyday, when bowlers would get rid of star batsmen in the top order, Adam Gilchrist would walk in and pile on the misery. How fitting that Pant did exactly the same at Gilchrist’s original home ground in Sydney. Pant walked in with India 329-5, a position where a short innings could have seen the side fold for a below-par total, and a typical cameo alongside Pujara would take India to 400, maybe 450 or even 500.
Pant went one better. He reined in his attacking instincts while the well-set Pujara was still at the crease, allowing the senior man to dictate play. His stroke-making was still on display, but he backed it up with solid defending and smart running. He played, in essence, the perfect supporting role.
Once Pujara got out, Pant let loose in a 204-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja that took India from a respectable 418/6 to a mammoth 622/7. When Kohli finally declared, Pant had scored an unbeaten 159 off 189 deliveries, with 14 fours and one six to become the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a century in Australia – four months after becoming the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a ton in England.
This was also the highest score away from home by any Indian wicket-keeper. And Pant now has 350 runs at an average of 58 in this series.
Pant has now scored more runs (350) in seven innings in this series than Virat Kohli (282) and has scored more runs in Australia than MS Dhoni did across his Test career (311). At 21 years old Pant is the youngest player on either team in this series. What a talent. #AUSvIND
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) January 4, 2019
India can’t lose from here, not unless Australia miraculously score 800 runs in two days and then bowl the visitors out cheaply. In all likelihood, Pant has just delivered India’s first-ever series win in the country.
There was a delightful moment of sledging in the previous Test when Australia captain Tim Paine suggested Pant come down to Hobart and baby-sit his kids. Pant took it in good humour. On Friday, it was Paine’s turn to look on while a young man had some fun and all but sealed the Test series for India, all at once.
