Rishabh Pant‘s extraordinary batting display in the opening Test against England at Headingley has sparked widespread admiration from some of England’s most respected former cricketers. Rishabh Pant’s centuries in both innings were the highlight of India’s performance despite a five-wicket defeat, and his fearless approach won over even those watching from the other side of the fence.
Rishabh Pant’s swashbuckling style may not be the textbook technique of great Indian batsman of old, but the diminutive wicketkeeper wrote his name into the history books at Headingley on Monday. The 27-year-old Rishabh Pant became the first Indian to score hundreds in both innings of a Test against England to give his side the edge heading into a fascinating final day of the first of a five-match series
Rishabh Pant became the first-ever Indian wicketkeeper to hit twin centuries in a Test by following his 134 in the first innings with a 140-ball 118 in the second on Monday (June 23) at Headingley. After celebrating the first with a somersault — that made him even popular among the hosts — he offered a muted expression for the second. With this innings and 8th century in his glorious red ball career Rishabh Pant entered into the record books acheiving many new heights in the game of cricket.
Rishabh Pant etched his name in the history with the record breaking ton
Rishabh Pant smashed his second hundred of the Leeds Test on Monday at Headingley. After scoring a brilliant 134 in the first innings, Rishabh Pant delivered again when India needed him most in the second innings. With India struggling at 92 for 3, he forged a 195-run partnership with KL Rahul – who scored 137 – en route to his 118, studded with 15 fours and 3 sixes. His and Rahul’s significant hundreds propelled India to set a strong 371-run target for England.
With his second hundred in the Leeds Test, Rishabh Pant became the first Indian to score a ton in both innings of a Test in England. By achieving the feat, he has joined an elite list of Indian cricketers, including Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (who achieved the feat three times), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma.
Rishabh Pant now has four hundreds in England, including his 114 at The Oval in 2018 and 146 at Edgbaston in 2022. These four centuries have seen him equal legendary batters Sachin Tendulkar and Dilip Vengsarkar’s record. Both of them have scored four centuries in England. Pant is now only behind Rahul Dravid, who hit six hundreds in England. With four more Tests to go on India’s tour of England, Pant will be very much in contention to surpass Dravid’s feat and become the Indian record-holder.
The southpaw’s two hundreds in the Leeds Test also made him only the second designated wicketkeeper-batter to score tons in both innings of a Test after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower. Rishabh Pant’s match aggregate of 252 runs is also the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test, breaking Budhi Kunderan’s record of 230 against England in Chennai in 1964.
Rishabh Pant’s tally is also the fourth-highest match aggregate by any wicketkeeper in Test cricket, with only Flower ahead of him.Rishabh Pant also joined an elite list of visiting cricketers with five successive fifty-plus scores in England, placing him alongside Don Bradman, Hansie Cronje, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, and Daryl Mitchell. Only Steve Smith has more, with seven.
The wicketkeeper-batter also scored twin centuries at Headingley, Leeds, to become the second glovesman to achieve the feat after Andy Flower. After the historic feat in Leeds, he followed it up with a brisk 65 off 58 balls in the second innings at Birmingham. His efforts fuelled India to a series-levelling 336-run victory at Edgbaston.
He achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first Asian wicketkeeper-batter to amass 2,000 Test runs in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). His batting prowess and control encouraged Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Rishabh Pant at the moment should only be compared to other best batters alongside him not Adam Gilchrist.
I want to benchmark Rishabh Pant to his standards- Ravichandran Ashwin
Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on Rishabh Pant’s approach with the bat, advising the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter to blend his natural aggression with situational awareness. The 27-year-old has emerged as one of India’s most dependable match-winners in Test cricket, often delivering when it matters most.
His ability to score centuries in challenging conditions has repeatedly helped the team recover from tricky situations and turn games around.His aggressive batting has been crucial in accelerating India’s scoring rate, demonstrating his capacity to dominate opposition bowlers. Ashwin stressed the importance of Pant recognising when to curb his attacking instincts, especially in high-pressure scenarios, to better serve the team’s needs.
” I would like to see Rishabh Pant achieve his potential. We want him to entertain us but he can do that and show restraint when needed. Pant is not a newbie anymore. I want to benchmark Pant to his standards.” Ashwin stated on his Youtube channel Ash ki Baat.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s remarks underscore the belief within the Indian camp that Pant possesses a unique blend of attacking prowess and defensive solidity, distinguishing him as a rare talent who should be celebrated for his own distinct style The veteran also addressed the frequent comparisons between Pant and former Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. He firmly believes that such comparisons are misplaced, highlighting a crucial difference in their game.
“He is a fabulous player. He is not Adam Gilchrist, many compare him to Gilchrist. He didn’t have such a good defence. Pant has a high-quality defence. He should be compared with some of the best batters, not Gilchrist. Rishabh Pant can do Pant things.”
With the next Test starting in only three days’ time, it would be interesting to see what sort of pitch the hosts prepare, considering the result in Birmingham. Â India on the other hand, whose chances were doubted after England’s fine win in Headingley last week, leave Birmingham with their first Test victory at Edgbaston at the ninth attempt.It also brilliantly sets up the remainder of the series, which continues at Lord’s on Thursday having a series levelled at 1-1.
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