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India vs Australia | Rishabh Pant is similar to Adam Gilchrist: Mohammad Azharuddin

Azharuddin also said Pant should be included in India’s limited-overs squad by the Indian selectors.

India vs Australia | Rishabh Pant is similar to Adam Gilchrist: Mohammad Azharuddin

India's wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (L) talks with bowler Kuldeep Yadav. (Photo: AFP)

Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin on Saturday drew comparisons between former Aussie great Adam Gilchrist and young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant.

Heaping praises on Pant, Azharuddin said Team India had found their own version of Adam Gilchrist in the stylish 21-year-old keeper-batsman. Pant on Friday smashed an unbeaten 159 runs against Australia in the first innings of the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and in the process became the first ever Indian keeper-batter to do so in Down Under against an Oz team.

“Rishabh Pant batted really well but needs to improve his wicketkeeping. I was surprised that he hit only one six in his unbeaten knock. But he played very well and I feel India have found a batsman similar to Adam Gilchrist,” Azharuddin told Aaj Tak.

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Azharuddin also said Pant should be included in India’s limited-overs squad by the Indian selectors.

“India still have time to include him in the T20 and ODI sides. He is an attacking batsman and he should be part of the World Cup squad.”

Speaking about his century, the Delhi batsman said the presence of Ravindra Jadeja at the other end helped him calm his nerves.

Former Australian great Ricky Ponting also heaped praises on Rishabh Pant. However, Ponting feels Pant had to work on his wicket-keeping skills to have a better career.

“He has got to do a bit of work on his keeping, and [with time] he’ll become a better cricketer but he’ll also become a better batsman. We talk about MS Dhoni all the time and his impact on Indian cricket. [Dhoni] played a lot of Tests for India but made only six Test hundreds. This kid will make a lot more Test hundreds than that,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

“We talk about him in the commentary box and the way that he bats, he is sort of like another Adam Gilchrist,” Ponting added.

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