ENG vs IND: Sunil Gavaskar reveals he wanted to do backstand after Rishabh Pant hundred

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has never shied away from expressing his admiration for Rishabh Pant, and on Day 4 of the first Test between India and England, the legendary opener was once again full of praise for the flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter. After Pant completed his second century of the match, Gavaskar made a light-hearted yet heartfelt revelation on air - that he had been tempted to mark the moment with a backstand of his own.

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Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, celebrating his second hundred in unique fashion, mimicking a gesture made famous by English footballer Dele Alli - a change from his usual somersault celebration. Watching from the Sony Sports studio, Gavaskar was seen gesturing animatedly towards the stands, asking Pant to bring out his now-iconic front flip celebration - the same one he had performed after his first-innings century. Gavaskar, however, was equally prepared to celebrate in his own way.

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Take a bow, @RishabhPant17, brilliant would be an understatement! #ENGvIND 1st Test Day 4 LIVE NOW Streaming on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/4A1Poe5jbC— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 23, 2025

"You know what, I've got to confess that after that I came here and I, and I tried not to do the backflip, no chance of, at my age, but I used to do the backstand and I was looking to do the backstand," Gavaskar said during the post-match analysis.

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"So if I could do it successfully then, then I would have shown it here, but I wasn't able to," he added with a smile.

With his second hundred in the match, he etched his name into the record books, becoming just the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match, and the first Indian to achieve the feat.

ENG vs IND 1st Test Day 4 Highlights

Gavaskar, beaming with pride, said Pant's return to form and fitness was deeply emotional, especially considering his harrowing road back after a serious car accident in late 2022.

"Very, very happy. I mean, anytime an Indian does well, you feel very happy because you know the passion for cricket in India, how just about every, in every family, I'm sure there is at least one person who—it might not be everybody - at least one person who follows the game," Gavaskar said.

"And therefore to make that family happy, if you can do well, if India does well, then naturally it is, it's a great feeling. And so to see this young kid, come back, I mean, look what had happened to him with all those, with that crash," he added.

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Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: Jun 24, 2025

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