Rishabh Pant sets these records with twin Test centuries
What's the story
Rishabh Pant has added another feather to his cap by scoring centuries in both innings of the opening Test match against England at Headingley, Leeds. He is the first Indian to achieve this feat on English soil. The achievement puts him in an elite club of Indian batsmen with twin centuries in a Test, including legends like Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (three times), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma.
Consistency
Pant joins Indian greats with 4 Test tons in England
Pant's four Test tons in England now match the records of cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Dilip Vengsarkar. The only Indian with more Test centuries in England is Rahul Dravid, who has six. This consistency has earned Pant a special place among India's batting greats. It is worth noting that no visiting wicket-keeper other than Pant has scored multiple Test hundreds in England, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Records
Most runs by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test
Pant made 134 in his first outing and followed it up with a score of 118. His match aggregate of 252 runs is the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test, breaking Budhi Kunderan's record of 230. This is also the most for a keeper in a Test in England. He also hit nine sixes in the second innings, equaling the record for most sixes in a Test match on English soil with Andrew Flintoff and Ben Stokes.
Information
Only second keeper with this record
As per Cricbuzz, Pant became only the second designated wicket-keeper to smoke twin hundreds in a Test, joining Zimbabwe legend Andy Flower. The former now has a hundred in the first, third, and fourth innings of a Test in England.
Elite list
Five consecutive 50-plus scores in England
Pant has also joined an elite group of visiting batters with five consecutive 50-plus scores in England. He now shares this record with cricketing legends Don Bradman, Hansie Cronje, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, and Daryl Mitchell. Only Steven Smith has more with seven such scores. Notably, this is the second successive Test that has seen Pant score 200-plus runs in a Test in England. Alec Stewart is the only other keeper to accumulate 200-plus runs in a Test in England.
Team achievement
Five centuries by an Indian batter in a Test match
The Headingley Test also witnessed a historic feat from the Indian team, which registered five individual centuries in a single match for the first time. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Pant scored centuries in the first innings while KL Rahul and Pant added two more in the second. This record-breaking spree underlines Pant's growing stature as one of India's most impactful batters in overseas Tests.