On Day 2 of the IND vs ENG 1st Test at Headingley, Rishabh Pant once again proved why he’s India’s most explosive wicketkeeper-batsman in modern Test cricket. The left-hander lit up Leeds with a sensational century, breaking the legendary MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Rishabh Pant Shines Bright at Headingley in IND vs ENG 1st Test
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Picking up from where they left off on 65*, Rishabh Pant lost no time in taking the reins. He hit the first boundary of the day off Brydon Carse and went about playing a string of attacking shots, with confidence, taking on both pace and spin.
Pant’s firebrand intent was in full flow as he launched an attack on England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, hitting a four and a mighty six to sprint to the 90s. He completed his seventh Test century in style, slapping Bashir over deep mid-wicket for a six, celebrating in his unique way.
Breaking Records: Pant Overtakes MS Dhoni in Style
This century was Pant’s seventh Test ton, making him the Indian wicketkeeper with the highest number of Test centuries, overtaking MS Dhoni, who had six in his 90-match career.
Indian Wicketkeepers with Most Test Centuries:
7 – Rishabh Pant
6 – MS Dhoni
3 – Wriddhiman Saha
Pant achieved this feat in only 44 Tests, highlighting his peerless status among contemporary wicketkeeper-batsmen.
Pant Enters Global Greats’ Century Club
Pant’s new ton also ranked him among the highest wicketkeepers in the world for most Test centuries:
Wicketkeepers with Most Test Centuries:
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Adam Gilchrist (AUS) – 17
Andy Flower (ZIM) – 12
Les Ames (ENG) – 8
Rishabh Pant (IND) – 7
AB de Villiers (SA) – 7
Matt Prior (ENG) – 7
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) – 7
BJ Watling (NZ) – 7
Quinton de Kock (SA) – 6
MS Dhoni (IND) – 6
This achievement put Pant up there with greats like Sangakkara, De Villiers, and Prior, cementing his reputation as one of the most dominant wicketkeeper-batsmen in Test cricket today.
Signature Style: A Century with a Six
Crazy enough, it was the third instance of Rishabh Pant scoring a Test century off a six, a gesture that only Rohit Sharma shares with him at the Indian level, and one short of Sachin Tendulkar, who achieved it six times. Pant’s crease audacity and death-or-glory finishing ability still thrill the fans and cricket experts alike.
Pant’s Legacy Continues to Grow
With this century-breaking century in the IND vs ENG 1st Test, Rishabh Pant is going on to create an incredible legacy for red-ball cricket. His skill at winning in English conditions, and now as India’s greatest Test wicketkeeper-batsman in terms of centuries, foretells a golden era of Indian cricket behind the stumps.
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