From stupid to superb: Sunil Gavaskar lauds Rishabh Pant's brilliance in IND vs ENG 1st Test

A few Indian cricketers have faced as much public and expert scrutiny as Rishabh Pant. However, at Headingley on Saturday, the same individual who previously deemed Pant unworthy of a place in the Indian dressing room recognized his talent and applauded him. After Pant carelessly lost his wicket in Australia, Sunil Gavaskar labeled him as 'stupid.' Yet in Leeds, following his century, Gavaskar referred to him as 'superb.' Pant, who resumed his innings on Day 2 of the first Test against England with 65 not out, achieved his seventh Test century with a performance that showcased restraint, determination, and his characteristic boldness. This also marked his fifth Test century scored away from home.

Additionally, Pant surpassed MS Dhoni in the record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper batter. The former Indian captain accumulated six Test hundreds over 90 matches, while Pant reached his seventh Test century in just 44 games.

He also ascended to the fourth position in the rankings for the most Test centuries by wicketkeepers in international cricket, joining the ranks of Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, Matt Prior, and BJ Watling.

Pant delivered an impressive 134 runs off 177 balls before being dismissed LBW by Josh Tongue.

India, already in a strong position thanks to Day 1 centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill, further solidified their advantage as Pant reached his century with a series of boundaries, including a classic pick-up shot over square leg and a stunning four off Shoaib Bashir.

However, this moment represented more than just another three-digit score for Pant. It symbolized the culmination of a redemption journey that began years ago in Australia. In 2021, Pant played a reckless shot and was out for 28 in a high-pressure Test match.

Sunil Gavaskar, from the commentary box, expressed his frustration: 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that dressing room!' This remark became notorious, leading to a flurry of memes online. Pant even humorously imitated it on social media.

On Friday and Saturday in Leeds, Pant transformed Gavaskar's three-word criticism into a three-word celebration. Gavaskar praised Pant’s innings as 'superb, superb, superb,' recognizing the evolution of a player who has grown significantly.

Pant's innings began with a boundary off Ben Stokes on his second delivery and developed into a steady accumulation of runs. At one stage, he managed to score 16 runs off 44 balls against Bashir. This innings was a strategic effort that demonstrated his ability to anchor the team. Additionally, this century placed Pant among an exclusive group: his earlier Test centuries were recorded in London, Sydney, Cape Town, Birmingham, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. Now, Leeds has been added to that list. Except for Chennai and Ahmedabad, all of these centuries were achieved overseas.

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