Rishabh Pant was high in praise from ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri following a mesmerizing 134 off 178 deliveries in the first innings of the first Test against England at Headingley. Pant's onslaught took India past the 450-run mark and saw him shatter several records along the way. This innings was a big statement from Pant, who has made a comeback to international cricket in stunning fashion after a near-deadly car accident in 2022. Interestingly, Pant had made his international debut under Shastri's coaching, having played 79 international games under him. Here is what he told BCCI after the end of play on Day 2. "First (he) is outrageous. I saw that from the first day I saw him. And I liked what I saw. Because he's different from the rest. He plays on his own terms. At times, he'll play the numbers game. At times, he'll just do what his mind says. That's Rishabh Pant for you. There's a package there that can be extremely dangerous in Test match cricket," Pant’s innings included 12 fours and six massive sixes, one of which a trademark one-handed hit brought up his seventh Test century. His celebration, a somersault, reflected the joy and intensity of the moment. By reaching triple figures, Pant went past MS Dhoni’s tally of six Test centuries the most by an Indian wicketkeeper in the format. His score of 134 is also among the highest by a wicketkeeper at Headingley, second only to Jonny Bairstow’s 140. "And I think ever since he's come into that No. 5 slot, he's been extremely consistent. If you're 30 for 3, for example, you might be tempted to send someone else. But with him, he's so aggressive, he can turn the course of the game. And then, for the others to make the most of it," the former head coach added. "He came in after lunch with over 100 on the board, and right away attacked the bowlers. That boundary off the second ball was a strong message he is not going to play safe. He is going to take over," Pant’s outstanding knock, along with Shubman Gill’s 147 in his first Test as captain and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s hundred, took India’s total to 471. Interestingly, it’s the lowest team total in Test cricket history where three batters reached triple figures in a single innings.