Ever since he made his debut in Test cricket in 2018, Rishabh Pant has been an outstanding keeper-batsman for India. He has scored 2271 runs over the course of 33 Test matches, averaging 43.67, including five centuries and 11 half-centuries.
He is a safe option for the team behind the stumps because his wicket-keeping skills have also improved dramatically. Pant may be out of action for most of 2023 after being involved in an accident.
He won the Test by himself. Ishan Kishan, a young and dynamic wicketkeeper, has been selected by the selectors for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kishan will try to make an impression in Test cricket, where he has big boots to fill.
Ishan Kishan is the ideal Test teammate for Rishabh Pant for the following three reasons:
#1 No left-handed pitcher in the top and middle innings
There was no left-handed batsman in the top and middle orders of the Indian Test line-up. Rishabh Pant was the only left-handed batsman in the top six. The top five Indian batsmen—Rohit Sharma, K. L. Rahul, Chateshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer—are all right-handed.
When a left-handed batsman and a right-handed batsman team up at the crease, the opposing bowlers are forced to adjust their lines and lengths.
Being a left-handed batsman, Rishabh Pant could agitate the bowlers when he came out to bat, which was advantageous for the team batting at number five or six. Also a left-hander, Kishan will try to impress if he gets a chance to play in a Test match against Australia.
#2 Has played international cricket
Kishan has played for Team India in ODI and T20I cricket for the past few years. In both formats, he has had success for India. He has scored a double-century in ODI cricket and has an average of 53.
He has performed admirably while playing for India in critical circumstances. The team’s second keeper-batsman, K. S. Bharat, hasn’t played in any of the formats yet, so making his debut against the Australians could be difficult for him.
Ishan has played cricket at the highest level, and he has also faced some of the Australian bowlers in the IPL. As he has done in other formats, he could adapt to Test cricket.
#3 Is a naturally aggressive player like Pant and has a respectable record in first-class cricket
Rishabh Pant is an aggressive cricketer who plays his natural game even in Test cricket. Pant has benefited greatly from his aggressive style of play, particularly in Test cricket, where he is known to tear apart bowling attacks.
Kishan is a naturally aggressive batsman as well, and if the circumstances call for it, he will not hesitate to play aggressive cricket. Kishan’s success in ODIs and the IPL is due to his controlled aggression, and the youngster will try to replicate those results in Test cricket.
Kishan has an average of 38.76 in 82 First Class innings. In first-class cricket, he has scored six centuries and 16 half-centuries and possesses the temperament to play the longest format.