"The most important thing is confidence"- Rishabh Pant on how he improved his wicketkeeping
Rishabh Pant received the Man of the Match award for his magnificent 101 off 118 balls in the first innings of the fourth Test between India and England. The 23-year-old talked about how the confidence that he has gained from his batting has also helped him to improve his wicketkeeping skills.
The hosts trounced England by an innings and 25 runs in the final game to clinch the series 3-1. With this, India also booked their spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship.
England were in the game on Day 2 as India were tottering at 146-6 at one point. However, Rishabh Pant's attacking knock of 101 and his 113-run partnership with Washington Sundar turned out to be the game-changer.
At the post-match presentation ceremony after winning the Man of the Match award, Pant talked about how his wicketkeeping skills have become better.
"I did a lot of keeping drills. The most important thing is confidence; as you practice a lot, you gain confidence. Along with that, I gained a lot of confidence because of my batting and transferred it to my keeping," said the 23-year-old.
On where he would rank his counter-attacking innings at Ahmedabad, Pant said that it is an important knock of his career as the team was in a spot of bother.
"This was an important innings as the team was under pressure. The situation was tough with 5-6 wickets down; in that situation, when you can deliver for your team in challenging circumstances, then there's nothing better than that," added Pant.
The wicketkeeper-batsman also said he would be open to playing the reverse flick against the seamers again if a chance arrives in the future. The southpaw played a breathtaking reverse-flick off James Anderson on the second day when the former was batting on 89.
"Have always enjoyed myself"- Rishabh Pant on playing with a smile
Apart from his swashbuckling batting, the Indian wicketkeeper is also known for his constant chirping behind the stumps and playing the game with a smile. Speaking on that, Rishabh Pant said he has always tried to enjoy himself whenever he is on the field.
"Ever since childhood, when I play cricket, I have always enjoyed myself and played it with a smile. I just want to bring smiles to people around me and contribute to the team," Rishabh Pant added.
Pant has shown that his performances in Australia were not just a flash in the pan, and he has backed them up with another impressive outing against England. India have undoubtedly unearthed a new star in Rishabh Pant who can go on to play for his country for years to come.