Some of England's most revered former cricketers have expressed great appreciation for Rishabh Pant's outstanding performance in the first Test against England at Headingley. Despite a five-wicket defeat, Pant's centuries in both innings were the highlight of India's performance, and his brave attitude won over even the audience on the other side of the fence.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan appeared on the Stick to Cricket show and couldn't help but compliment the unorthodox left-hander. "The way he plays, there's a lot of science in that madness," Vaughan stated. "Even Ben Stokes is admiring when he's batting."

Comparisons were made between Pant's novel, unexpected, daring, and yet tremendously successful approach and some of the finest wicketkeeper-batters in the history of the game. "Adam Gilchrist for me is the best wicketkeeper-batter," Vaughan said. "But Pant just set a new trend. I mean, throughout white ball cricket, MS Dhoni was outstanding. Given his style of play, you would think Pant would be more at home in the white ball game than in the Test game. However, his Test record is far superior than his white ball record.

Vaughan praised Pant's influence with the bat and his demeanor on the field, particularly his capacity to joke with opponents, which was echoed by Alastair Cook and David Lloyd. To break the tension, former spinner Phil Tufnell showed off Pant's over-the-top ramp shot, which the panel referred to as the "roly-poly ramp shot."

“It’s like tossing a pancake when he hits that,” Tufnell quipped in a dramatic fashion as he lay flat on the ground, causing his fellow panelists to burst out laughing.

Cook's compliment

In the meantime, Cook was quick to highlight that Pant is a tough competitor despite his cheerful demeanor. "That smile doesn't mean he doesn't like (to win). Or that he isn't the most competitive (player),” Cook said. "It's impossible to score two centuries if you don't really want to." He could have said that I got a hundred in the first innings and that he threw (was laid back in the second innings). However, he did not.

In the Test match, India was mostly let down by the lackluster bowling assault and lower-middle order, with the exception of Jasprit Bumrah, as the team suffered a five-wicket loss. On July 2, both teams will be back for the second match of the series.

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