South African great AB de Villiers has praised Rishabh Pant for his fearless approach to batting and urged India not to panic despite the opening Test loss in the ongoing series against England.
Pant played a pivotal role for India at Headingley, scoring centuries in both innings with his trademark aggressive style. His counter-attacking knocks stood out as he took the fight to England’s bowlers with flair and confidence.
Reflecting on Pant’s adventurous batting, De Villiers said there were nearly 20 moments in the match where Pant looked vulnerable and could have been dismissed before reaching 30 runs in either innings. However, he acknowledged that it’s exactly this high-risk, high-reward mindset that defines Pant and has made him successful.
“He plays with extreme risk. It’s sometimes going to frustrate the living daylights out of you. I can count 20 occasions where he could have gotten out for under 30 in both innings. But he didn’t, and that’s the most important thing. He is a player that takes it to the opposition, and 99 out of 100 times, those are your successful sports people,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
“It is a huge shame they couldn’t cross the line” – De Villiers
He also admitted to being bewildered by Pant’s shot selection at times but praised the outcome and impact of his innings.
“I was on the couch, going, Rishabh, what are you doing? It’s not the time and place for this. But look at the results. That’s all that matters. It is a huge shame they couldn’t cross the line because he deserved to be the Man of the Match,” he added.
While India lost the first Test despite five individual centuries, including Pant’s twin tons, De Villiers urged calm and perspective, reminding fans and media that it’s a long series.
“Lots of questions all of a sudden. I know there are a lot of media people around, writing the big headlines, ‘we need change’. I don’t think it’s time to panic yet. It is a five-Test match series,” he said.
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