Rishabh Pant has been remarkable to say the least in the first Test against England, scaling new heights at Headingley. As the India vice-captain, he now holds the record for the highest match aggregate by a designated wicketkeeper in a Test on English soil. Pant’s scores of 134 in the first innings and 118 have taken his tally to 252 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy clash.This means that the wicketkeeper has now surpassed England’s Alec Stewart, who amassed 204 runs (40 & 164) against South Africa at Old Trafford back in 1998. The 27-year-old’s commanding batting display has not only steadied India’s second innings after an early hiccup with Shubman Gill’s wicket but also reaffirmed his stature as one of the most impactful wicketkeeper-batters in modern cricket. His fearless stroke play and animated chatter have been among the biggest talking points India’s second innings, with several stump mic moments from this Test already going viral. Adding to his exploits, Pant has now joined an exclusive club of visiting batters who have scored five consecutive fifty-plus scores in England. This elite list includes legends such as Don Bradman, Hansie Cronje, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, and Daryl Mitchell. At the top of this remarkable chart stands Australia’s Steven Smith, with an astonishing streak of seven successive 50-plus scores in England.Besides this, Pant has also become the first Asian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test. The only other person to achieve this rare feat is Andy Flower of Zimbabwe. Furthermore, Pant is the first Indian batter to score hundreds in each innings of a Test for India in England.With impressive scores in both the innings, Pant’s solid innings has helped India immensely on Day 4. Following the early wicket of Gill on Day 4, Pant’s aggressive game against the English bowling attack alongside KL Rahul has helped India cross the 250-run mark, which was ended by Shoaib Bashir and caught by Zak Crawley.
Among some of his viral moments in the game was when he apologized to English pacer Chris Woakes for making the later cancel his run-up midway, and later explained that he ‘wasn’t ready’. Adding to the moment was Pant’s earnest apology, saying “sorry Woakesy.” As he smashes his second century of the first Test, cameras spotted Sunil Gavaskar requesting him to celebrate with a somersault. However, the centurion gestured that he’ll keep the acrobatics for the next instance and instead opted to celebrate differently – this time by cupping his ears and pointing to the distance.
