“A dream come true” is how Rishabh Pant described his maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England.
The 20-year old has made quite a name for his belligerent hitting in the shorter formats of the game and now has a chance to show his prowess in the game’s purest form after being selected as the back-up wicketkeeper to Dinesh Karthik.
“It was a great feeling to hear that I had been included in the Indian Test squad,” Pant told bcci.tv. “I always wanted to be a part of the Indian Test squad and it was more like a dream come true for me.
In fact, in the four-dayer against Windies A, Pant played a big role in the Indians’ come-from-behind win, and followed it up with two half-centuries in the loss to the Lions.
“I have so far enjoyed my preparation with red-ball cricket,” he said. “The Dukes ball swings a lot when you’re here in England and initially when I started playing here with India A, I realised that the swing will come a lot into play in these conditions.
“Whenever I walk into bat, I go with the mindset of what the team needs from me. In the game against West Indies A, there was a situation wherein I had to be more patient because there were enough overs and therefore I took my time and got India home.”
