New Delhi: Ahead of Day 3 in the second Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval, Rishabh Pant was in a cheerful mood and stole the show by pulling off a hilarious prank on Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist, winning the hearts of fans.
As the Indian team warmed up for the day’s play and Adam Gilchrist was engaged with media duties, Rishabh Pant quietly approached him from behind, catching the legendary cricketer off guard. In a hilarious moment, the 27-year-old blindfolded Gilchrist, creating a rib-tickling scene that quickly went viral on social media.
Previously, Pant had shared that Gilchrist is one of his cricketing idols. In a recent interaction, the Indian star fondly recalled admiring the three-time World Cup winner as a child and praised both his exceptional batting and wicketkeeping skills.
Gilly got a surprise on the field #Cricket #AUSvIND #RishabhPant #AdamGilchrist #BrettLee #IsaGuha #RaviShastri #Foxtel pic.twitter.com/6PvwP5pr6j
— Foxtel (@Foxtel) December 8, 2024
“Everyone knows. See, I think he has been an inspiration for me. As a kid, I used to watch him a lot, and I’m someone who doesn’t watch cricket much. He was someone I looked up to for the way he approached the game, both with his batting and wicketkeeping. I loved everything about him. When I met him for the first time in Australia, it was amazing,” Pant shared on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast.
Gilchrist is widely regarded as the greatest wicketkeeper to ever play the sport. He featured in 96 Tests for Australia, scoring 5,570 runs at an impressive average of 47.60, including 17 centuries. In One-Day Internationals, he played 287 matches, amassing 9,619 runs at an average of 35.89, with 16 centuries to his name.
Gilchrist is also the only player in history to score 50+ runs in three Cricket World Cup finals. He made half-centuries in the 1999 and 2003 finals against Pakistan and India, respectively, and a memorable century against Sri Lanka in the 2007 final.
Reflecting on the match, Pant was dismissed by Mitchell Starc in the first over of Day 3 for a knock of 28. India was bowled out for 175, losing the match by 10 wickets.
