Former India batsman Aakash Chopra has likened Rishabh Pant to Australia great Adam Gilchrist after the Indian wicketkeeper smashed an unbeaten 159 on Day 2 of the Sydney Test against Australia on Friday.
Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century in Australia when he crafted a well-paced knock to add to Australia's woes. India finished the day on 622 for 7 declared after Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara (193) and Ravindra Jadeja (81) tamed the Australian bowling attack.
Pant, who is touring Australia for the first time with the senior squad, scored a boundary off Marnus Labuschagne to reached the hundred in i37 deliveries.
Before Pant's century, Farokh Engineer had the highest scorer of 89 for an Indian wicketkeeper in Australia, which he scored in Adelaide in 1967.
With the hundred, Pant is now also the second highest scorer in the ongoing series in Australia. He overtook Virat Kohli's 282 runs and trails Cheteshwar Pujara now, who leads with 521 runs.
"I think it's changing him every single day. He is learning something every single day. We keep forgetting that he is just 21 years old. He has achieved something that no Indian keeper was able to achieve before -- score a century in England and Australia," Aakash Chopra told India Today.
"You know we all hoped, we will find somebody similar to Adam Gilchrist. He is taking these giant strides. He was very restrained [in Sydney], even without going aerial and taking a lot of risks, he was able to score at run-a-ball.
"He is giving us reminders that there is a lot more to him. Indian cricket needs to invest. You have got to start looking beyond one format for him."
Stressing Rishabh Pant is a must for India's World Cup plans, Aakash added: Iit will be a travesty if he's not there [World Cup]. With every single knock, he is growing, he is showcasing his maturity. You need match-winners, game-changers. At least, having in the mix. MS [Dhoni] is going to be there. Having Rishabh Pant is mandatory, looking towards the World Cup."
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On this Special Report, Maria Shakeel examines the deepening internal friction within the Congress party in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The focus is on Thiruvananthapuram MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor, who reportedly skipped a crucial strategy meeting attended by Rahul Gandhi. Maria Shakeel notes, 'Tharoor skipped the Congress High Command's Kerala strategy meet altogether, reportedly upset with both the party leadership over what is seen as lack of due respect by Rahul Gandhi.' The programme features veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who downplays the rift, claiming Tharoor had prior commitments at a literary forum. However, the report highlights past instances where Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LK Advani caused friction with the party brass. The discussion, featuring Shehzad Poonawalla and Sanjay Jha, explores whether the Congress can afford to alienate a prominent face like Tharoor as the BJP gains ground in urban Kerala, particularly following their performance in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation elections.
In this intense debate, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla and Political Analyst Sanjay Jha discuss the reported rift between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress leadership. Poonawalla claims, 'Congress, and particularly Rahul Gandhi, can't stand anybody who puts nation first,' citing Tharoor's praise for LK Advani and India's foreign policy as reasons for his alleged sidelining. He further suggests a 'board of peace' be formed to manage internal Congress factions. Sanjay Jha defends Tharoor as an 'intellectual heavyweight' and 'outstanding speaker,' though he admits Tharoor is a 'distinctive outlier' who might be a misfit in any political party. The discussion also touches upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gesture of welcoming Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, which Poonawalla frames as a tradition of cooperative federalism. Jha acknowledges the Congress faces challenges and must avoid complacency in Kerala despite Tharoor's electoral strength.
This episode of Newstrack focusses on the deepening internal friction within the Congress party in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
