Who is India's highest run-getter in WTC history?
What's the story
Rishabh Pant has become India's highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC), surpassing Shubman Gill. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter achieved this feat during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. He scored 39 runs off 62 balls in the first innings and followed it up with a stellar knock of 66 runs off just 69 balls in the second innings. Here are further details.
Record-breaking performance
Pant overtakes Gill
With his second-innings score, Pant has taken his WTC tally to 2,885 runs at a fine average of 41.81, as per Cricinfo.
This includes 23 50-plus scores, including six tons.
This puts him 18 runs ahead of Gill, who has a total of 2,867 runs.
Both players have played 41 WTC matches each, but Pant has scored his runs in 73 innings as compared to Gill's 75.
The latter faltered in Galle, recording scores worth 16 and 8.
Milestone achievement
Pant becomes first Indian with 100 Test sixes
Along with becoming India's highest WTC run-scorer, Pant also made history by hitting his 100th six in Test cricket.
He is the first Indian and fourth player overall to reach this landmark.
The wicketkeeper-batter achieved this feat in just 51 Tests, making him the fastest player to hit a century of sixes in the five-day format of the game.
Upcoming challenges
Overall top WTC scorer
Pant also happens to be the only keeper with 2,600-plus runs in the WTC era.
His tally of 80 WTC maximums is only second to England's Ben Stokes (88). No other batter even has 60 sixes.
The overall highest run-scorer in the WTC is England's Joe Root, who has scored 6,651 runs in 77 matches.
Root will get another chance to add to his tally when England start their three-Test series against Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday.
Career
Here are the career stats
Pant has been a prolific run-scorer for India, amassing over 3,662 runs at an average of 43.59.
He is the second-highest run-scorer as a wicketkeeper for India in Tests, only behind MS Dhoni (4,876).
His eight centuries speak volumes about his ability to anchor innings despite the challenges of the format.
Only Adam Gilchrist (17) and Andy Flower (12) have hammered more hundreds as a designated keeper. The one in Galle was his 20th fifty.