Former England cricket David Lloyd called Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant a ‘beggar to play against’, a curious way to praise him as a nuisance for his opponents. Lloyd remarked that his batting style must be rubbing England up the wrong way, before adding that ‘we are in for a real treat’ to see him this series.
Pant became the first-ever Indian wicketkeeper to hit twin centuries in a Test by following his 134 in the first innings with a 140-ball 118 in the second on Monday (June 23) at Headingley. After celebrating the first with a somersault — that made him even popular among the hosts — he offered a muted expression for the second.
“Rishabh Pant is box office," Lloyd wrote for the Daily Mail. “It is fabulous to see him back after his near-fatal car crash in 2022. He is supremely talented and a real entertainer. But where was his somersault celebration on Monday? Come on Rishabh!"
“I bet he’s a beggar to play against as he rubs the opposition up the wrong way. We are in for a real treat watching him throughout this five-Test series," he added.
Lloyd also praised Indian batters’ defensive technique throughout the Test, appreciating their ability to mix entertaining hitting with the old ‘digging in’.
“A batsman needs a good defence in Test cricket, as KL Rahul proved during his brilliant innings. Cricket lovers appreciate when a batsman has to dig in before accelerating when the going gets easier. For all their Twenty20 experience in the IPL, India’s batsmen have shown they also have sound defensive techniques and excellent concentration," Lloyd said.
Rahul also scored 137 as India got bowled out for 364 in the second innings, setting England a target of 371. Of that, the hosts scored 21 without losing wickets by Stumps on Day 4.
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Lloyd also expressed slight worry at Shoaib Bashir’s ineffectiveness in the Test, with the spinner managing just three wickets across the two innings.
“Shoaib Bashir is 21 and he already has 61 Test wickets. He gets total backing from Ben Stokes. However, will he become a problem later in the series? India are pretty comfortable against him. In the first innings, he took one for 100. In the second, it was two for 90 and he went at more than four an over. What will England do with him now?" he asked.
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