Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant put on a stellar show in the first Test match against England behind the stumps. In the 1st innings of the match, Rishabh Pant picked three crucial catches as team India bundled up the hosts for 183. In the second innings, Pant gave an even better performance by picking up four catches, as India restricted England for 303 runs.
Pant’s glovework has impressed one and all and he has been receiving praises from all corners for his performance. Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt also showered praises on the cricketer.
In his latest video on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt lauded the glovework of Rishabh Pant and said that it is not easy to keep wickets on hard surfaces of England. He said:
“Rishabh Pant deserves a lot of credit. It is very difficult to keep wickets in England and he has been outstanding,”
He added:
“He took catches to send back Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley as well. It was not easy, some balls even fell in front of him. But he was up to the task and provided the bowlers the support they needed behind the wickets,”
Pakistan’s Salman Butt during nets
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
Livepic
Apart from the amazing performance behind the stumps, Rishabh Pant also scored a quickfire 25 runs off 20 balls. In his latest video, Salman also explained why Pant’s 25-run innings for India were helpful for the Virat Kohli-led side. He also defended Pant, who is getting criticized for throwing away his wicket after making a brilliant start. He said:
“Rishabh Pant’s 25 runs were important. He plays his own brand of cricket. If it comes off, it will look spectacular and people will glorify him. Under pressure, if you play freely and the ball hits the middle, then you look a million dollars but if you get dismissed then it can be otherwise. People will question your tactics but I think he did the right thing,”
He added:
“This is his natural style of playing and this is how he creates impact. Rishabh Pant provided impetus to the innings. His 25 may have been a small knock but it put England bowlers slightly on the backfoot,”
