Gavaskar Wanted to Do a Backstand After Rishabh Pant’s Century: “I Tried, But…”

Gavaskar Wanted to Backstand for Pant’s Century

Rishabh Pant’s electric second century of the Headingley Test had fans—and legends—on their feet. But it also left Sunil Gavaskar jokingly inspired to try an old-school celebration of his own.

After Pant became the second wicketkeeper in history to score twin centuries in a Test match, the Indian legend revealed on Sony Sports Network that he wanted to celebrate in his own style.

“I tried not to do the backflip—no chance at my age! But I used to do the backstand, and I was looking to do the backstand,” Gavaskar said with a smile.
“If I could do it successfully, I would have shown it here, but I wasn’t able to.”

The Missed Somersault & A New Celebration

Pant, who had already wowed the crowd with a somersault celebration after his first-innings century, teased fans and commentators by skipping it the second time. Instead, he gestured toward Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box, seemingly hinting “maybe later.”

Instead of the flip, Pant pointed to his eye and looked upwards — a celebration many speculated to be a gesture of gratitude to the heavens.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan joked:

“I was rather disappointed when he didn’t do the double flip. But I guess Rishabh always wants to improve his celebrations.”

Gavaskar’s Admiration for Pant’s Comeback

Praising Pant’s journey, Gavaskar added:

“To see this young kid come back after what happened to him with that horrific crash… it’s incredible.”
“Anytime an Indian does well, it makes the whole nation happy. To see Pant do this after everything he’s gone through—it’s special.”

Headingley Test Set for Dramatic Day 5

Thanks to Pant’s century and KL Rahul’s gritty 137, India posted 364 in the second innings, setting England a stiff target of 371 runs.

  • Pant-Rahul Stand: 195 runs for the 4th wicket
  • England at Stumps, Day 4: 21/0 (Crawley 12*, Duckett 9*)
  • England Need: 350 more runs on Day 5

With rain threatening play and all three results still possible, fans are gearing up for a nail-biting finish at Headingley.

Stay tuned for all the latest Cricket news, match highlights, player analysis and viral moments!

Leave a Reply