NEW DELHI: Following Rishabh Pant’s sensational twin centuries within the ongoing Leeds Take a look at at Headingley, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes the India vice-captain may surpass Rahul Dravid’s file for many centuries by an Indian in England.Pant’s outstanding hundred within the second innings on Day 4 of the opening Take a look at in opposition to England shattered a number of data. With a mix of flamboyance and self-discipline, the wicketkeeper-batter carved a memorable knock that added to his rising legacy in red-ball cricket.Talking on Match Centre Reside after the conclusion of Day 4, JioCinema knowledgeable Sanjay Manjrekar heaped reward on Pant’s uncommon achievement.“While you take a look at all of Rishabh Pant’s achievements, the primary intuition is to consider him purely as a batter — and understandably so. While you’re speaking about batting exploits in England, scoring twin a whole lot, the names he is being in contrast with are legends like Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sunil Gavaskar. However here is the outstanding half — he is additionally a wicketkeeper. That is what makes it virtually unbelievable,” Manjrekar stated.He additional underlined the importance of Pant’s twin position within the staff.“I do know somebody like Kumar Sangakkara had an outstanding batting file, however he wasn’t fairly the keeper that Rishabh Pant is. Pant is India’s first and final selection as a wicketkeeper on this Take a look at aspect — and that claims loads,” he added.Manjrekar additionally pointed to the statistical risk of Pant eclipsing Dravid’s tally of six Take a look at centuries in England, with 4 matches nonetheless to be performed within the ongoing sequence.“Should you take a look at the numbers — most a whole lot by Indians in Exams in England — Rahul Dravid leads with six. And immediately, you’ve got Pant’s identify in that very same elite bracket. There is a good little twist — there are two Rahul’s on this story. You have bought KL Rahul, and you have Rishabh Pant. Who is aware of, by the point this sequence is completed, Pant may match and even surpass Rahul Dravid. There are nonetheless 4 Exams to go on this sequence — that is doubtlessly eight innings for Pant. He is already began in near-perfect style,” he concluded.Most Take a look at centuries in England (by Indian batters):
Participant | Matches | Runs | Centuries |
---|---|---|---|
Rahul Dravid | 6 | 846 | 6 |
Sachin Tendulkar | 4 | 611 | 4 |
Rishabh Pant | 3 | 512 | 4 |
Dilip Vengsarkar | 4 | 488 | 4 |
KL Rahul | 3 | 415 | 3 |
Sourav Ganguly | 3 | 395 | 3 |
Sunil Gavaskar | 2 | 322 | 2 |
Mohammad Azharuddin | 2 | 300 | 2 |
Ravi Shastri | 2 | 287 | 2 |
Virat Kohli | 2 | 252 | 2 |
Pant had earlier scored 134 within the first innings and adopted it up with a commanding 118 within the second, partnering with KL Rahul in a 195-run stand that positioned India firmly in management. His method was notably adaptive — switching from his pure aggression to a extra measured model because the state of affairs demanded. From 96, he cautiously moved to 99 earlier than reaching his second hundred with a single off Shoaib Bashir, turning into the primary Indian batter to attain a century in every innings of a Take a look at in England.
With this feat, Pant joined India’s unique twin-century membership, alongside Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (3 occasions), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma.The 27-year-old additionally grew to become solely the second designated wicketkeeper-batter to attain a whole lot in each innings of a Take a look at — after Andy Flower, who achieved the feat in Harare in opposition to South Africa in 2001 with scores of 142 and 199*.Pant’s identify now options amongst legendary visiting batters who’ve recorded 5 consecutive 50-plus scores in England — alongside Don Bradman, Hansie Cronje, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, and Daryl Mitchell. Solely Steven Smith (7) has extra.His match mixture of 252 runs (134 & 118) is the best ever by a chosen wicketkeeper in a Take a look at in England, surpassing Alec Stewart’s 204 (40 & 164) in opposition to South Africa at Outdated Trafford in 1998.Pant additionally equaled the file for many sixes in a Take a look at innings in England, ending with 9, alongside Andrew Flintoff (2005 Ashes, Edgbaston) and Ben Stokes (2023 Ashes, Lord’s).Throughout 10 Exams and 19 innings in England, Pant has now amassed 808 runs at a median of 42.52, with 4 centuries, two fifties, and a strike charge of 69.89 — underlining his dominance and evolving legacy in difficult abroad circumstances.