"He didn't miss a hundred, he scored 99" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's dismissal on 99 in IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test

Aakash Chopra has noted that Rishabh Pant's 99-run knock in India's second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru was no less than a century. He added that the missed run is being discussed because of the obsession with milestones in cricket.

Pant smashed 99 runs off 105 deliveries as India were all out for 462 on Saturday, October 19. New Zealand need 107 runs for a win on the fifth day, with all 10 wickets in hand.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Chopra was asked about his thoughts on Pant missing his century by one run.

"There is actually a difference of just one run between 99 and 100 and in Test cricket, you very rarely lose or win a match by one run. A hundred is a milestone for us because cricket is a number-obsessed game. These milestones are defined by numbers, or else 99 is no less than 100," he responded.

"If he had gotten out on 100, we would have said it was incredible, his seventh century. Since he got out on 99, we say he missed his century. He didn't miss a hundred, he scored 99, and he batted like that," the former India opener added.

Pant was dismissed in the nineties for the seventh time in Tests. He would have surpassed MS Dhoni's tally of six Test centuries, the joint-most for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, had he reached the three-figure mark on Saturday.

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"If he too had not played this long, you might not have been able to come to bowl at all" - Aakash Chopra on the importance of Rishabh Pant's knock

Rishabh Pant struck nine fours and five sixes during his 99-run knock. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Aakash Chopra pointed out that India's sudden collapse shows the significance of Rishabh Pant's knock.

"When you look back, you were 408/3 and got all out for 462, suddenly the importance of this knock is seen even more. If he too had not played this long, you might not have been able to come to bowl at all because wickets fell quickly later," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the destructive wicketkeeper-batter will be more known for his approach than his numbers at the end of his career.

"There is no doubt that this player is special. When this player's career ends, he will be recognized very less by his numbers. The numbers are needed to tell a story but the way he plays will be discussed more, that a guy came who made Test cricket entertaining, that he used to play differently from the others," Chopra observed.

Chopra pointed out that Virender Sehwag's approach looked different in his era as most batters used to play conservatively. He added that Rishabh Pant is a standout player in the current era despite virtually everyone playing aggressively.