India vs England | 'From stupid to superb': Rishabh Pant wins over Gavaskar after splendid century

Batter-wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on Saturday slammed a century on the second day of the series opener against England, surpassing former skipper MS Dhoni's record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket.

It brought Pant's seventh Test 100 and earned him praise from cricket legends, including Sachin Tendulkar.

But what caught the Internet's attention was the praise lavished upon Pant by cricket veteran Sunil Gavaskar.

Pant had come under heavy criticism earlier this year during India’s Test series defeat in Australia, especially for his rash shot selections. However, he was this time showered with praise from Gavaskar when he struck a six off the first ball of the 100th over of India’s first innings, clearing the fence to bring up the milestone.

Back during the match with Australia, Gavaskar had slammed Pant’s shot selection with the stinging remark -- "stupid, stupid, stupid" -- echoing through the commentary box.

But at Headingley on Saturday, as Pant raised his bat and made the signature front-flip celebration after reaching the milestone, it was Gavaskar again -- this time exclaiming “superb, superb, superb!” on air, commentating alongside Harsha Bhogle.

Gavaskar, while praising Pant’s batting, said that the batter looked very comfortable even while defending against fast bowlers. "This is very different from what happened during the Melbourne Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy."

“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...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,” Gavaskar rounded off in his praise for Pant.

(With inputs from Reuters)