Adam Gilchrist: Give Rishabh Pant time, difficult to fill MS Dhoni's void

Australia great Adam Gilchrist heaped praise on Rishabh Pant but insisted that the young wicketkeeper needs time to find his feet at the highest level.

Gilchrist pointed out that filling MS Dhoni's boots is not going to be an easy task. He also insisted that denying youngsters like Pant a long rope will only hamper the ability to produce his best.

After making his international debut in T20s in 2017, Pant was handed his maiden Test cap earlier during the third Test of the ongoing five-match series in England last month.

The southpaw, known for his big-hitting skills, had been knocking on the selectors' doors for quite some time with some eye-catching performances at the domestic level and in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils.

Pant is being touted as a potential successor for Dhoni, who had called it quits in Test cricket in 2014.

Wriddhiman Saha had established himself as the first-choice wicketkeeper with some consistent performances but a shoulder injury allowed the selectors to try the backup options for one of the most important positions in the playing XI.

Seasoned campaigner Dinesh Karthik got the nod ahead of Pant in the one-off Test against Afghanistan and kept wickets in the first two Tests in the Old Blighty as well.

However, he lost his place to the 20-year-old Delhi stumper following ordinary performances at Edgbaston and Lord's.

"He [Pant] looks a very exciting cricketer. He's a Quinton de Kock type player in the way he bats and keeps. And we see a number of exciting cricketers come through the IPL," Gilchrist said during an interaction with the media on the sidelines of a promotional event in Bengaluru on Sunday.

"He's another one who's produced the goods and he's been selected for India. So, it's an exciting time for him. And, the challenge will be to perform at that level."

Don't churn players out quickly: Gilchrist to selectors

Pant will hopefully get an opportunity to prove his mettle further in the upcoming tour of Australia as well, according to the 46-year-old.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman had started his Test career with a six off the very second ball he faced but hasn't managed to live up to the hype, at least with the bat so far in England.

However, the team management decided to stick with Pant for the fifth and final Test, a dead rubber, amid reports of Karthik winning the wicketkeeping spot back from him.

"When Shane Warne finished, he left a big hole in the team because of the quality of person and player that Shane was. Same when the Big Four [Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman] departed [in India]. They are huge gaps to fill," Gilchrist added.

"And, MS Dhoni is as good a player as any in the 'keeper-batsman position... plus he captained as well. So, it might take chopping and changing to find that player [replacement].

"So, the selectors need to understand some consistency in selection and allow players a chance to settle into the top level is really important. If you churn through them too quickly, it can leave a psychological scar on players' minds and that might limit their efforts in being able to produce their best.

"So, hopefully, Pant gets a nice run at it. Obviously, there's an Australian tour up for grabs."