Rishabh Pant becomes batter with most Test sixes against England
What's the story
Rishabh Pant scripted a series of records with a brilliant 74-run knock in the second innings of the third Test against England at Lord's. Having smoked eight fours and two sixes during his 112-ball stay, Pant has now become the batter with the most Test sixes against England in Test cricket. Pant also became the first visiting wicketkeeper to complete 400 runs in a series in England.
Record-breaking innings
Pant hits 2 sixes, sets new Test record
Pant's innings of 74 runs off 112 balls was a display of grit and determination, especially considering he was batting with a finger injury. He hit two sixes during his knock, taking his tally against England in Tests to 36, as per ESPNcricinfo. This number is two more than West Indies great Vivian Richards's record of 34 sixes against England in Test cricket. With 27 maximums, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the next Indian on this list.
Matching records
Pant matches Rohit Sharma's record for 2nd-most sixes by Indian
Not just Richards, Pant also matched former India Test captain Rohit Sharma's record for the second-most sixes hit by an Indian in Tests. Both have now hit 88 sixes each, just two short of Virender Sehwag's all-time India record of 90. However, what makes Pant's achievement even more remarkable is that he has achieved this feat in just 46 Tests as compared to Rohit's 67.
Consistent scoring
Pant equals Dhoni's record
Playing his 12th Test in England, Pant has raced to 972 runs at 44.18 (100s: 4, 50s: 4). No other visiting keeper has even 800 runs or multiple hundreds in the nation. Meanwhile, Pant equaled his compatriot MS Dhoni's record of eight 50-plus scores in England a keeper. No other visiting keeper has more than seven 50-plus Test scores in a country. Notably, Pant is the only visiting batter with 20-plus Test sixes in England (26).
Information
First visiting keeper with this record
As mentioned, Pant became the first visiting keeper to complete 400 runs in a Test series in England. Having batted five times in the ongoing series, Pant has raced to 416 runs at 83.20. He could also surpass England's Alec Stewart (465) to become the highest-scoring keeper in a Test series in England.