“It’s just phenomenal. I mean, it’s hard to imagine that,” Rahul Dravid hails Rishabh Pant’s 89-run knock at the Gabba in BGT 2020/21

In the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020/21 in Australia at the Gabba, Rishabh Pant played a match-winning knock of 89.

“It’s just phenomenal. I mean, it’s hard to imagine that,” Rahul Dravid hails Rishabh Pant’s 89-run knock at the Gabba in BGT 2020/21

Rahul Dravid, Rishabh Pant (Via X)

Rishabh Pant, the young Indian wicketkeeper-batter, has been a phenomenal player in the longest format of the game. He has centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa and has been a match-winner in this format in difficult conditions. In the fourth Test match of the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020/21 in Australia at the Gabba, Pant played a match-winning knock of 89 in the second innings and helped India register a 2-1 series win.

Ahead of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval in the ongoing BGT 2020/21, former India head coach and player, Rahul Dravid, recalled Pant’s heroic knock at the Gabba and said that Pant played an incredible knock under pressure with an Indian team that was missing so many of their players. He called Pant a special player and stated that he has gone on to replace MS Dhoni more than everyone had expected.

It’s just phenomenal. I mean, it’s hard to imagine that, after Dhoni left, you felt there might be some time for someone to come in and replace him. I’m not saying he’s replaced him, but certainly in Test cricket, his performances have been absolutely sensational.

Rahul Dravid told Star Sports

India was losing players in a spree due to injuries, and Pant went on to play a sensational knock under pressure and breach Australia’s fortress. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength. Pant suffered a near-fatal car crash in December 2022 but came back from it like a fighter to do what he does best on the cricket field.

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Rahul Dravid recalled his own innings in Adelaide in the 2003 BGT

India has won the first Test match of the ongoing BGT at the Optus Stadium in Perth by 295 runs. They will now play a Pink ball Test in Adelaide. Ahead of the match, Dravid recalled his double century against Australia in Adelaide in 2003 and is grateful for it. However, he does not rate that knock too much because India did not go on to win the series. He praised India’s recent victories in the last two Test series on Australian soil.

Rahul Dravid also recalled his innings in Adelaide in the 2003 BGT
Rahul Dravid recalled his innings in Adelaide in the 2003 BGT (Via X)

However great my performances were or India’s performances were, we couldn’t actually win that series. We came close, but we couldn’t get the wickets on the final day in Sydney that we needed. The last two teams that have gone to Australia have done that, and that’s a fantastic achievement.

Rahul Dravid said.

India won their first-ever Test series in Australia in 2008 under Virat Kohli. In the 2020-21 series, they were dismissed for just 36 runs in the second innings of the first Test match in Adelaide, which was also a Day/Night Test. India lost that Test but came back to win the series 2-1 against all adversities.