debut: 7/11/03
4,584 runs
[i][i]
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England fast bowler Chris Woakes is not as quick as Archer. Nonetheless, few batters in the game try to reverse sweep one of his yorkers as Pant did during the 68th over. Unfortunately for the batter, he missed, and the ball smashed into his boot. Pant was 37 at the time and couldn’t continue. Later, it was reported that he suffered a fractured toe and would be out of action for some time. Despite this diagnosis, he returned to bat on the second day to much applause and added 17 more runs, to end on 54. His services were not required in the second innings, but he was needed for his team to win or save the game; it is a sure thing that he’d have batted.
In this day of T20 cricket, the kind of forthrightness with which Pant plays is not entirely out of place. Had he played years ago and attempted to reverse sweep Dennis Lillee, say, or Malcolm Marshall, he’d probably have been carted off somewhere and not seen in his nation’s colours again. Except, these are different times; the game has changed. His approach is still exceedingly bold but not inconceivable.
Pant is an adventurer posing as a wicketkeeper-batter. In the first innings of the first Test of this series he ran down the pitch to England captain Ben Stokes and hit him back over his head for four. In the second innings he ran down the pitch, second ball again, this time to Chris Woakes. The resultant edge flew over the cordon for another four. The interesting thing is that he did not continue in that vein, and actually completed well-made centuries in both innings, becoming the second keeper to do so after Zimbabwean Andy Flower.[b]
In this day of T20 cricket, the kind of forthrightness with which Pant plays is not entirely out of place. Had he played years ago and attempted to reverse sweep Dennis Lillee, say, or Malcolm Marshall, he’d probably have been carted off somewhere and not seen in his nation’s colours again. Except, these are different times; the game has changed. His approach is still exceedingly bold but not inconceivable.
Pant is an adventurer posing as a wicketkeeper-batter. In the first innings of the first Test of this series he ran down the pitch to England captain Ben Stokes and hit him back over his head for four. In the second innings he ran down the pitch, second ball again, this time to Chris Woakes. The resultant edge flew over the cordon for another four. The interesting thing is that he did not continue in that vein, and actually completed well-made centuries in both innings, becoming the second keeper to do so after Zimbabwean Andy Flower.[b]
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