IND vs ENG | Can’t imagine an Indian side across formats without Rishabh Pant, opines Ian Bell

After India’s historic repeat win over Australia, Rishabh Pant had not just sealed himself a place in the Indian side but also stamped his authority on the proceedings, making him one of the first names in the playing XI. However, that was largely limited to the longest format, where he made a genuine inroad with his runs. In the shorter formats, Pant wasn’t picked in the Australia series, only making his return against England. 

"I can't imagine now an Indian side without him in it. It just feels like it. He's the future around some world class players. But yea, we've seen a mature series and that's quite rate at the moment for seeing someone playing like that. I think it's a rare talent and this is just the start of him now having a successful career. Incredible to watch, a real match-winner," Ian Bell told ESPNCricinfo, reported Hindustan Times. 

"He's had a fantastic series, hasn't he? Across all three formats. I saw a real calmness about him today. It's not only high-risk, slogging or anything like that. Also, he gets off strike and rotates it. So I imagine that those bowlers at the end of their mark are thinking that if they get it slightly wrong, Pant does hurt them. We've seen a maturity as this series has gone on. That Test match hundred again would have given him a lot of confidence," Bell concluded.