As England prepares to take on India in the second Test at Edgbaston starting Wednesday, captain Ben Stokes showered praise on India’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Pant made history in the first Test at Headingley by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score two centuries in a single Test, notching up 134 and 118 in a thrilling contest. Despite his remarkable performance, India ended up on the losing side as England chased down a daunting 371-run target to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Stokes and Pant shared a light-hearted moment during the Leeds Test when Pant charged down the wicket early in his innings to take on the England skipper. Stokes responded with laughter, and showing mutual respect between the two. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second test, Stokes said he admired Pant's bold and entertaining style.

“I absolutely love watching Rishabh Pant play cricket. I love the way he takes it on in all formats of the game,” said Stokes. “He has gotten a bit of stick in his time, but that type of talent, when you let that type of talent be free, that is what can happen, you know, last week."

'Very Dangerous Player': Stokes Acknowledges Pant's Match-Winning Potential

While applauding Pant’s talent, Stokes acknowledged the risks and rewards that come with the Indian keeper’s aggressive approach. “But yeah, it is the sort of thing when you look back on last week, and credit to him, two 100s in the game, we know we are going to get our chances with the way that Rishabh plays,” he noted. “So yeah, it is one of them; on a different day it could have looked a little bit different if one of those had gone straight off into a hand.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Stokes concluded by reaffirming Pant's importance to the Indian side and how much he enjoys watching him play. “But yeah, very dangerous player, we know what he brings to the Indian team, but I really enjoy watching Rishabh play cricket,” he said.