Rohit Sharma posts cryptic message for centurion Rishabh Pant's Cape Town masterclass
Indian opener Rohit Sharma came up with a cryptic message for swashbuckling batter Rishabh Pant who smashed an unbeaten 100 against South Africa in Cape Town.
After Pant brought up his fourth Test hundred in the post-lunch session, Sharma took to Twitter. He used a series of emoticons to suggest that the 24-year-old silenced his doubters with a brilliantly calculated counter-attack in Newlands.
It marked the seventh instance of an Indian wicketkeeper scoring a Test hundred outside Asia. Unsurprisingly, Pant has contributed three of those, with his two other hundreds coming in England and Australia
Check Rohit Sharma's tweet here:
🤐🤐 #👖
Rohit Shamra wasn't the only one to shower plaudits on the feisty wicketkeeper-batsman. From former greats to fans, everyone was in awe of Pant and rightly so.
Pant has coped a lot of criticism for his shot selection in the past few months, especially in the last Test, where he threw away his wicket while attempting to drive Kagiso Rabada on the up.
He showed signs of improvement in the first innings of the third Test. However, it was really in the second innings where the left-hander displayed a masterclass of calculated assault.
Rishabh Pant's masterclass lifts India's lead to 211
India were down in the dumps when Rishabh Pant made his way out in the middle on the third day. The visitors lost overnight batter Cheteshwar Pujara and former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane within a space of three runs. With the overall lead only 73 runs, captain Virat Kohli needed Pant to stay with him.
While Kohli showed incredible restraint to deliveries outside the off-stump, Pant chose the right deliveries to attack, which kept the scoreboard ticking.
- Test Hundred in Australia.
- Test Hundred in England.
- Test Hundred in South Africa.
Rishabh Pant is just 24 and he's already dominated world cricket. https://t.co/IPPybVw697
Pant took the attack to Keshav Maharaj after the lunch break, smashing the left-arm orthodox for two sixes off successive deliveries in an over.
Kohli and Pant added 94 runs for the sixth wicket. However, just when it looked like India were getting into a position of strength, Kohli nicked a wide delivery from Ngidi to trigger another collapse.
Pant waged a lone battle as wickets kept falling at the other end. He batted with a lot of maturity, and eventually got to his ton with a single off Marco Jansen. Thanks to his hundred, India have set South Africa a target of 212 to win the match and the series.
in England, Australia, and South Africa.
, did in against 🏴 and has done that again.
97, 89*, 91, 101, 50, 87, 100*
Seven goated knocks by #pant within a span of 12 months.
Only Asian wktkeeper to score a Test 💯 in England, Australia, and South Africa.
A selfless knock with the series on the line. Did that in 🇦🇺, did in against 🏴 and has done that again. https://t.co/kXNnKHRLQL
This is Rishabh Pant's first Test ton in South Africa. He has become the first Asian wicketkeeper to achieve the feat. The left-hander has now scored a Test ton in Australia, England and South Africa to go along with a match-winning hundred he scored in Ahmedabad last year against England.