Rishabh Pant Makes History with Twin Centuries in England Test
Historic Achievement by Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test match on English soil. This unprecedented feat had never been accomplished by any Indian player before. Pant showcased his signature aggressive style throughout both innings, leaving the English bowlers struggling to keep up. He reached his century in the first innings off just 126 balls, ultimately scoring an impressive 134 runs. In the second innings, he took 130 balls to complete his century, hitting 2 sixes and 13 fours. With this performance, Pant has surpassed four legendary wicketkeeper-batters in the all-time list of Test centuries.
Pant Surpasses Legendary Wicketkeepers
With his latest century, Rishabh Pant now boasts a total of 7 Test centuries, placing him as the fourth-highest century-scoring wicketkeeper in cricket history. He has overtaken notable players such as BJ Watling, Kumar Sangakkara, Matt Prior, and AB de Villiers. The record for the most Test centuries by a wicketkeeper is held by Australia's Adam Gilchrist, who has 17 centuries. Below is the list of the top wicketkeeper-century scorers:
- Adam Gilchrist (Australia) – 17 centuries
- Andy Flower (Zimbabwe) – 12 centuries
- Les Ames (England) – 8 centuries
- AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 7 centuries
- Matt Prior (England) – 7 centuries
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 7 centuries
- BJ Watling (New Zealand) – 7 centuries
- Rishabh Pant (India) – 7 centuries
- Quinton de Kock (South Africa) – 7 centuries
- MS Dhoni (India) – 6 centuries
- Kamran Akmal (Pakistan) – 6 centuries
- Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh) – 6 centuries
Demonstrating Leadership and Consistency
As the vice-captain alongside Shubman Gill during this tour, Pant exhibited significant responsibility and maturity, especially in the absence of seasoned players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. In the first match, he formed a crucial partnership of over 100 runs with Gill, followed by a remarkable 150-run partnership with KL Rahul in the second match.
A Milestone for Indian Cricket
Rishabh Pant has now joined an elite group of only seven Indian batsmen who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test match. The players who achieved this before him include:
- Vijay Hazare
- Sunil Gavaskar (3 times)
- Rahul Dravid (2 times)
- Virat Kohli
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Rohit Sharma
- Rishabh Pant
Notably, Pant is the first Indian to accomplish this feat in England.
Current Match Status
At the time of writing, Pant and KL Rahul have forged a partnership of 182 runs in the second innings. Team India is currently in a strong position, leading by over 280 runs on Day 4 of the first Test. The team aims to maximize their score to set a challenging target for England. While the match appears to be heading towards a draw, a substantial lead could pave the way for a decisive outcome on the final day.