Pant delivered a spectacular 118 off just 140 balls, featuring 15 fours and three sixes, captivating the Headingley crowd with his unconventional batting style on Day 4.
“Outrageous. He (Pant) masterfully engages in the numbers game, playing according to his own rhythm. He might defend for a while, then suddenly accelerate,” Shastri noted on Sky Sports.
“He has his own system that only he understands. That’s his unique selling proposition. It’s what pressures bowlers and makes him a box office draw, a true entertainer and match winner,” the former India all-rounder commented on Pant’s ‘method to madness’.
With this, Pant notched his eighth Test century, marking his third since the severe car accident in late-2022 that kept him off the field for nearly 18 months. Shastri also referenced the somersault Pant performed after his first-innings century.
“That’s why that celebration occurred. He was expressing gratitude for the chance he’s been given,” declared Shastri.
“I believe his recovery from that incident was significantly aided by his youthful physique. When I visited him in the hospital, it was a grim sight. His knee was in disarray, with scars and bruises everywhere.”
In the first innings, Pant hit Shoaib Bashir with a stunning one-handed six over mid-wicket while on 99 to reach his century.
“This guy is box office. One of the finest entertainers, and that’s one of the best century celebrations I have witnessed. He’s quite a character,” remarked former Surrey and Sussex batter Ian Ward while commentating for Sky Sports.
