Rishabh Pant's journey in Test cricket has been anything but ordinary. The wicketkeeper-batter has often drawn both applause and criticism in equal measure for his daring approach.
But on Day 2 of the first Test between India and England at Headingley, he delivered a performance that not only silenced doubts but also earned praise from none other than Sunil Gavaskar. Pant struck a century (his seventh in Test cricket).
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He was one of three Indian batters to reach the three-figure mark in India's first innings. As he reached the milestone, Gavaskar - on commentary - repeated the word "Superb" three times in admiration.
It was a far cry from the time he had slammed Pant with a "Stupid, stupid, stupid" remark for a reckless shot against Australia just months ago.
What did Rishabh Pant say on comeback and Sunil Gavaskar's praise?
After the innings, in a conversation with teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, Pant was asked how it felt to hear "superb, superb" from Gavaskar after being labelled "stupid" not too long ago. The 26-year-old smiled and offered a heartfelt response.
"The feeling is the same as how you're feeling at this time. It feels extremely good when you work on your weaknesses and convert setbacks into comebacks. That was the thought process. I was lucky to have overcome my weaknesses. Hard work, focus and discipline were massively involved. It was quite an exciting phase for me," Pant said.
Pant's hundred was part of India's big total of 471 all out in 113 overs. He scored fluently and with control; joining Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) and Shubman Gill (147) as India's three centurions.
Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes were the pick of England's bowlers with four wickets each. Pant's return to form and the accompanying praise marked a satisfying twist in his red-ball career.