In another crowning moment in RIshabh Pant’s young but accomplished Test career so far, he etched his name into the history books in the second innings of the Edgbaston Test. Having scored 146 runs off 111 balls in the first innings, in a counter-punching aggressive innings to drag India on top after being 98-5, Rishabh Pant added another 30 runs in the evening of the third day, and in doing so has taken his match total to 176 — the most runs in a single Test match for any Indian wicketkeeper outside Asia.
It is a momentous record, considering some of the names against whom Pant has had to compete. He broke the previous record of 161 runs, scored by Vijay Manjrekar at Kingston against West Indies in 1953 — a record which has stood for many, many years, highlighting the difficulty and brilliance of what Pant has accomplished.
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Astonishingly, 3 of the top 5 scores for wicketkeepers outside Asia already reside with Pant, the other two having come at the SCG in 2018 and 2021. It is also interesting to note how two of the scores in the top 5 have occurred in Birmingham, a happy hunting ground for Indian wicket-keepers.
Many have spoken of Pant as potentially set to be India’s greatest ever wicketkeeper-batsman due to his ability to unsettle opposition bowlers and score quick runs, the perfect fit in modern Test cricket for a lower-order player, very similar to the legendary Adam Gilchrist.
{{/usCountry}}Many have spoken of Pant as potentially set to be India’s greatest ever wicketkeeper-batsman due to his ability to unsettle opposition bowlers and score quick runs, the perfect fit in modern Test cricket for a lower-order player, very similar to the legendary Adam Gilchrist.
{{/usCountry}}It is also important to note that several of these innings came in match-winning or match-saving causes, at junctures when his team needed him the most. His first innings score was his fourth century away from home, and in only his 31st Test match. At the age of 24, Pant is only going to grow as a batter, and will remain integral to India’s successes abroad. Fans would hope that he only goes from strength to strength, and becomes a more dangerous player than he already is.
Pant ended day 3 batting on 30, and will look to add to his overnight score and in doing so set a big target for England in the fourth innings. He will certainly be in the conversation for earning the man of the match award in one of India’s most significant Test matches of recent times, one which could put the stamp on their first series win in England in 15 years.