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‘You Dont’ Really Know..’ – Chris Woakes Relishes Challenge Of Bowling To Rishabh Pant Ahead Of ENG vs IND 2nd Test

Samarnath Soory

Last updated: July 1, 2025

3 min read

Pant is now a keeper-batter with eight hundreds

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, while commentating for the first Test between England and India, remarked that he had never seen a batsman fall over on the pitch more than Rishabh Pant.

The unorthodox methods of the Indian wicket-keeper kept the England bowlers flummoxed throughout the match as he notched up two hundreds in the Leeds’ Test, becoming the first ever keeper-batter to do so on English soil.

Chris Woakes praises Rishabh Pant’s twin hundreds in ENG vs IND 1st Test

There were multiple shots the left-hander sacrificed his balance for a good connection with the ball while playing behind the wicket and hitting it square. There were also sudden lunges against off-spinner Shoiab Bashir as well as pacers bowling at full tilt.

Pant climbed up the Test hundreds list by keeper-batters by reaching his eighth hundred overall and is only behind Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach and former Zimbabwe left-hander Andy Flower and England’s keeping great Les Ames.

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England lead pacer Chris Woakes felt that the unconventional methods employed by Pant make him one of the most challenging batters to bowl at and praised the 27-year-old for the excitement he brings to the pitch.

“Rishabh’s a player who you don’t really know what’s coming next. He’s a player who keeps you on your toes as a bowler, which is sometimes exciting to bowl against. But sometimes, he can put you on the back foot as a bowler. He makes the game move forward,” Woakes said in a press conference before the second Test in Edgbaston beginning on Wednesday.

England to have special plans to get Rishabh Pant out at Edgbaston

Along with Pant, the likes of Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored hundreds but the bluntness of the visitors’ pace attack cost them dearly as England chased down 371 in the second innings to win the first Test by five wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. It was also the first instance in Test history where a team with five hundreds had lost the match.

Woakes also said that Pant’s risks fortunately paid off in the first Test and England will have a meeting with their bowlers to devise a strategy to get him out early in Edgbaston.

England have named an unchanged playing XI for the match on Tuesday, despite speedster Jofra Archer named in the squad for the game.

India, meanwhile, are expected to make changes to their XI after the poor performance of some of their batters as well as tailenders who failed to contribute any runs in both the innings in the first Test.

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