'Rishabh Pant has inspired a lot of wicketkeeper-batters': Adam Gilchrist

Former Australia keeper-batter Adam Gilchrist is fascinated by the impact India’s Rishabh Pant has had on players of the same ilk in just six years with the Indian team. Pant, who was involved in a car crash in December last year, has been out of action ever since. There is no clarity over his return to cricket with the upcoming ODI World Cup the latest big ticket event that he’d miss. Before the life-threatening accident, Pant had maintained his place in the Indian cricket team for his aggressive batting style that did ruffle some feathers for being cavalier at times. A strike rate of 73 in Test cricket shows the threat he poses to the bowlers and his performance against Australia - 274 runs from five innings, including a series-winning 89 at the Gabba - was pivotal to India winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21. “I think Rishabh has inspired a lot of wicket-keeper batters around the world to play that [aggressive] way. It is fascinating for such a young man to have such an impact that Rishabh has had, and others are responding and playing in that positive manner,” said Gilchrist to news agency PTI. In Pant’s absence, India have made KL Rahul the main choice with Ishan Kishan giving tough competition. Gilchrist said he was impressed with how Kishan was staying resolute despite knowing KL Rahul was higher in the pecking order. “They [India] are well stocked,” Gilchrist said. “They have got a couple of [wicketkeeping] options there, obviously, when KL was out with his injury, Ishan Kishan took his opportunity and played really well, and now they find themselves in the team together so that’s a wonderful case of taking an opportunity. “Being positive, and then, forcing the selectors into keeping you in the team [is impressive]. It seems like KL is gonna be the one who is going to continue with the gloves but it does not seem to hinder Ishan Kishan’s batting, he seems to be playing really well, carefree, attacking and dangerous.” Three-time World Cup winner was asked to pick his semi-finalists for the tournament that gets underway on 5 October. “I think India and Pakistan could feature, Australia and England are another two teams,” he said. Australia will take on India in a three-match ODI series, starting 22 September, before shifting focus squarely to the World Cup. In their most recent assignment, Australia went down 2-3 to South Africa in a five-match series. “Australia will learn a lot from their efforts in South Africa when they come to India. They have got three games before the World Cup against India. So, they will have a bit more of a full-strength squad there, that might tell us a bit about where they are at. “Adam Zampa, in South Africa, was at the receiving end a little bit but it’s different conditions out here in India with different pitches and he is a world-class spin bowler, and he has shown that particularly across T20 cricket, and now he gets his chance in the 50-over World Cup. So it’s a very knowledgeable group and they are going to have to use all that experience against batting line-ups across the globe and play without fear,” said Gilchrist on the spinner who took 0/113 and 3/70 in the last two ODIs in South Africa.