People say Rishabh Pant's batting defies logic but there is an element of a sharp cricket brain behind it: Ravi Shastri

Former Team India head coach and commentator Ravi Shastri has stated that a lot of people think that the Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s batting defies logic. However, he added that there is an element of sharp cricketing brain behind it on when to counterattack.

While Pant scored 134 runs in 178 balls with 12 fours and six sixes in the first innings, he went on to smash another century - 118 runs in 140 balls with 15 fours and three sixes in the second innings to make it twin tons in the Leeds Test.

While Pant tried to play aggressively in the start of the second innings, he later curbed his aggressive instincts and opted to play defensively for a brief period of time, which resulted in his century a few sessions later.

"People say Pant's batting defies logic but there is an element of a sharp cricket brain behind it. He knows when to counterattack,” Ravi Shastri told SkySports.

"It comes off on some occasions and on others it doesn't, but if he had converted some of those seven dismissals in the 90s he would have had a double-digit number of Test hundreds," he added.

Notably, Pant emerged as the first Indian batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test in England. Moreover, he is only the second keeper-batter after Andy Flower to score two centuries in a Test match in England.

Furthermore, Shastri felt Pant has given India a good headache on when exactly they have to declare their innings. England required 350 more runs from 90 overs on Day 5, while Indian bowlers needed to take 10 wickets to win the first Test and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

"Pant has taken the game forward. He has given India a headache in terms of when they should declare and how many runs they get,” he observed.

"There is plenty of food for thought but India will be very happy after a technical masterpiece from Rahul and the flamboyance and exuberance that you can't imagine from Pant," said Shastri.

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