Key Points

England captain Ben Stokes has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant ahead of the second Test against India. Stokes called Pant a "dangerous player" and expressed his admiration for his fearless batting style. Pant scored twin centuries in the first Test, though England still managed to win. Stokes also brushed off concerns about India's rotation strategy for Jasprit Bumrah.

Key Points: Ben Stokes Praises Rishabh Pant Ahead of England vs India Test

  • Stokes admires Pant's aggressive batting approach in all formats
  • Pant scored twin centuries in the first Test at Leeds
  • England clinched victory despite Pant's record-breaking knocks
  • Stokes dismisses concerns over India's rotation of Jasprit Bumrah
2 min read

Absolutely love watching him play...: England skipper Stokes' admiration for Rishabh Pant

England captain Ben Stokes lauds Rishabh Pant's fearless batting style ahead of the second Test against India, calling him a "dangerous player."

"I absolutely love watching Rishabh Pant play cricket, I love the way he takes it on, in all formats of the game. – Ben Stokes"

Birmingham, July 1

Ahead of the second Test against India, England skipper Ben Stokes expressed his admiration for swashbuckling Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, saying that "absolutely loves watching him play".

The second Test between both sides will take place from Wednesday onwards. During the first Leeds Test, Rishabh broke plenty of records with his twin centuries, knocks of 134 and 118. However, these knocks went in vain as England chased down 371 set by India with five wickets in hand.

Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Stokes said about Pant, "I absolutely love watching Rishabh Pant play cricket, I love the way he takes it on, in all formats of the game."

"He has got a bit of stick in his time, but that type of talent, when you let that type of talent be free, that is what can happen, you know, last week. But yeah, it is the sort of thing when you look back on last week and credit to him, two 100s in the game, we know we are going to get our chances with the way that Rishabh plays. So yeah, it is one of them, on a different day it could have looked a little bit different if one of those had gone straight off into a hand."

"But yeah, very dangerous player, we know what he brings to the Indian team, but I really enjoy watching Rishabh play cricket," he concluded.

On whether India's strategy to have their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah play just three Tests and not reveal which ones affects England's planning and strategies, Stokes replied, "That is India's problem to deal with. I am the captain of England. Let India decide what they want to do and what they want to say publicly."

England playing XI for second Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As an England fan, I must agree with Stokes. Pant's batting is pure entertainment! Though I wish he'd be less destructive against our bowlers 😅 That reverse sweep off Anderson was outrageous!
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Priya S
While I love Pant's batting, I'm concerned about his wicketkeeping. Dropped catches cost us the first Test. He needs to balance aggression with responsibility. Still, what a player!
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Rohit P
Stokes' comments show true sportsmanship. Pant's twin centuries were legendary, but our bowling let us down. Bumrah's rotation policy is confusing - we need our best players in every match!
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Michael C
The way Pant changed Test batting is remarkable. From being questioned to becoming indispensable in 2 years - that's the Pant story! Hope he continues entertaining us for years to come.
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Kavya N
Pant's innings had me jumping in my living room! But team management needs to sort out the bowling attack. Can't rely on one man's heroics every time. #TeamEffortNeeded

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