After ‘stupid, stupid!’ remark in Australia, Sunil Gavaskar makes new Rishabh Pant admission: 'It seems like ...'

Gavaskar Revisits Pant Assessment After India's Dominant Start Against England

Sunil Gavaskar, known for his past criticism of Rishabh Pant, has revised his assessment of the dynamic batter following India's strong performance on the first day of the Test match against England.

Sunil Gavaskar and Rishabh Pant (Agency Photos)

During a broadcast on Sony Sports, Gavaskar offered praise for Pant's evolving approach. He had previously described a shot played by Pant in Australia as "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" on ABP Sport.

Gavaskar now states, “It seems like that’s how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary. It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants."

He further added, "Over here, he's been measured in his approach, giving himself time out in the middle. But once he's in and the bowlers start to tire, that's when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries.”

This aggressive style is now viewed as a calculated strategy rather than mere recklessness.

Gavaskar elaborated on Pant's strategy of initial restraint: “Because he gives himself that time early on, it becomes easier for him to play those aggressive strokes later. When he defends, he seems to have so much time against the pace bowlers—it almost looks like he's taking the mickey out of them, saying, 'Look, I've got all the time in the world; I don't need to play a big shot, I'm just middling the ball.' He’s got enormous talent. I’ve seen him score hundreds in South Africa and Australia, and they've been absolutely unbelievable. There’s such a great blend of defence and attack—starting with solid defence and then shifting to attack."

Gavaskar's earlier criticism stemmed from Pant’s dismissal for 28 during the tour of Australia. He had exclaimed, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that (India’s) dressing room - he should be going into the other dressing room!”

As Pant's approach yields positive results, with India posting a formidable 359/3 at the end of Day 1 of their five-Test series in England, the spotlight was initially on Shubman Gill (127*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). Pant, however, remained unbeaten on 65, contributing with two late sixes to maintain India's momentum.