In all sports, records are set to be broken. These range in many aspects. It can be a player's record; a team record or an overall one. In the current Test between England and India, the latter's wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, has set a new record by scoring a century in the 1st innings.
India were bowled out for a formidable 471 in their first innings. This was due to contributions by captain, Shubman Gill (147), vice-captain, Rishabh Pant (134) and opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). Pant was the most aggressive of the trio, blasting 12 fours and six sixes in his 134 off 178 balls. It marked his seventh Test century — the most by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the format,;surpassing MS Dhoni’s record of six.
Pant’s latest innings also saw him cross 3 000 Test runs. In 44 matches, he now averages close to 44, with 15 half-centures to go with his seven tons. MS Dhoni, in comparison, scored 4 876 runs in 90 Tests, with six centuries and 33 fifties at an average of 38.09 — remaining the highest run-getter among Indian wicketkeepers in Tests. Following Pant and Dhoni on the list are: Wriddhiman Saha (2 centuries); Syed Kirmani (2); Farokh Engineer (2) and Nayan Mongia (1).
Rishabh Pant bettered MS Dhoni’s record for most runs by a wicketkeeper in away Tests in the SENA countries, during Day 2 of the first Test between England and India at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday.
In his seven-year Test career, Pant has scored four Test centuries in SENA with a highest score of 159 not out in Sydney in 2019.
Former Indian cricketer, Sanjay Manjrekar, hailed Rishabh Pant as the country's, "greatest wicketkeeper-batter ever" following his breathtaking century against England, calling him a, "breath of fresh air." Speaking on 'Match Centre Live', Manjrekar said, "By far, India's greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he's a breath of fresh air."
"When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That's what we love about England - these guys come to watch good cricket. They want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it," he added.
The fact that Pant has slammed some classic tons abroad raises his stature, according to Manjrekar.
"Again, I am a believer in where you got your hundreds, and I'm a big sort of, I always look at hundreds. OK, where have we got it? He's got hundreds in England. He's got 100 in South Africa. He's got a couple of hundreds in Australia," Manjrekar said.
"So when you look at the MS' hundreds, with all due respect to his fans, his centuries would not be so much in these countries where batting is a bit more challenging, as batting on an Indian pitch. In Test cricket, he's already well ahead of MS," he added.
This is also his fifth century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) conditions, the most by an Asian batter. Three of these centuries have come in England and one each have come in Australia and South Africa.
Pant is actually quite at home even now. Only Alec Stewart and Matt Prior have more hundreds as wicketkeepers in England. No visiting wicketkeeper has more than one. He has scored more hundreds in this country than Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli.
He has also equalled Sri Lankan legend, Kumar Sangakkara (seven centuries), for most centuries in Tests as a designated keeper among all Asian countries.
Pant's third Test century in England means that no other visiting wicketkeeper has made more than one hundred in the country. England's Les Ames in the West Indies and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower in India are the only visiting wicketkeepers to score three Test hundreds in a country apart from Pant.
The six sixes he scored is the most by a visiting batter in a Test innings in England. His six sixes are also the joint-second-highest by an India batter in a Test innings away from home; behind Hardik Pandya's seven against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Pant's score in this Test match is the second-highest by a wicketkeeper at Headingley, behind Jonny Bairstow's 140 against Sri Lanka in 2016.
Pant has brought up his century by hitting a six three times. He has brought up his hundred with a six in Tests, all against England - against Adil Rashid at The Oval in 2018, Joe Root in Ahmedabad in 2021 and Shoaib Bashir in Leeds. Among Indians, only Sachin Tendulkar (six) and Rohit Sharma (three) have brought up centuries with sixes in Test cricket as many or more times than Pant.
Since 2002, no batter has hit a six to complete his hundred more often than Pant. Chris Gayle; Brendon McCullum; Kumar Sangakkara; Rohit and Kusal Mendis have also done it three times during this period.
It's quite clear that Pant is in a class of his own. Coming from experience, he's always a thrill to watch, provided he isn't playing against South Africa. At 27 years old, he still has plenty to offer, both the national team and the world. His potential is limitless. He could be the GOAT of all wicketkeepers.