'That shot will cause him pain': Harbhajan Singh on Pant's reverse sweep to Anderson

After a series of failures in the 90s, Rishabh Pant finally breached the 100-run mark on Friday against England in final Test of the series. The Indian batsman started slowly with an intention to stitch a partnership but soon went berzerk sparing no English bowler including star all-rounder Ben Stokes. Through his innings, Pant played some gutsy and stylish shots but his reverse sweep to James Anderson caught the limelight. 

Pant, who was on song, reverse swept James Anderson just when he had got the new ball in his hand. The youngster played the gutsy shot and was rewarded as well, as the ball rushed towards boundary overslip. The shot which has now become the talk of the town has also earned praise from veteran Indian bowler Harbhajan Singh. Reviewing the reverse sweep, Harbhajan remarked that the shot will remain in Jimmy Anderson's mind for a long time. 

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'He generally plays big shots'

"Credit to him. You need guts to play a shot like that. This shot will remain in Jimmy Anderson's mind for a long time. When he retires and thinks about the best shots that have been played against him, this shot will cause him pain because it is a question of ego that a small kid played a reverse sweep against such a big bowler," Harbhajan Singh said during a discussion on Star Sports.

"When he achieved the 206-run target, he got back to his real form which all of us liked. Jimmy Anderson would also be thinking if he is the same Rishabh Pant who was defending when he was bowling to him with the old ball and attacking him when he has the new ball," he added. 

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Tracing Pant's journey so far, Harbhajan opined that the young gun has become a different player since the tour of Australia. "His natural game is that of a stroke-player who can demolish any bowler but he showed today that if it is not required, you also need to know how to defend. He generally plays the big shots against the spinners but he gave himself the time to settle as the team needed him to play cautiously and build a partnership," he concluded. 

Continuing his form from Australia, Team India's wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant unleashed upon the English bowlers on Friday in the final Test of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The young gun spared no bowler, including England's star Ben Stokes, as he smashed a quickfire 100 to topple England's well-earned lead. After missing out the century by inches in his previous innings, Pant finally breached the 100-run mark on Friday evening just before the end of play on Day 2, with support from Washington Sundar who held the other end sternly. 

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India register comprehensive win

While England have been kicked out of the World Test Championship by virtue of the series defeat, India will lock horns with New Zealand at the Lord's in June later this year. Team India registered a comprehensive victory on Saturday defeating England by an innings and 25 runs. Webmasters Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin yet again spin a web around the English tourists, picking up 5-wickets each in the second innings of the game.

English batsmen once again failed to find their feet as India's frontline spinners wracked havoc. In the top order, only Test skipper Joe Root (30) managed to show some resistance. Middle-order batsman Dan Lawrence looked to deny the inevitable with a fighting 50* but he waged a lone battle as the visitors were bundled out for 135 in their second innings. 

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