Leeds, June 21 (IANS) Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has declared that Rishabh Pant, who hit an entertaining 134 on day two of the first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Headingley, is the greatest wicketkeeper-batter India has ever seen in longer format.

On Saturday, Pant hit his seventh Test century off 146 and now holds the record for most Test hundreds as a wicketkeeper for India, going past the legendary MS Dhoni’s tally of six centuries. It was also Pant’s third Test hundred in England – which is huge considering no other visiting wicketkeeper has more than one Test century in the country.

“By far, India’s greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he’s a breath of fresh air.”

“When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That’s what we love about England — these guys come to watch good cricket. They obviously want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it,” said Manjrekar on JioHotstar.

Amidst applause from the crowd on reaching the three-figure mark, Pant, who also completed 3000 runs in Tests on day one’s play, celebrated it with his signature somersault, a skill he picked up from undergoing gymnastics practice in his growing-up years. Former England fast-bowler Stuart Broad termed Pant’s knock as pure box-office effort.

“England crowds are always amazing at respecting and appreciating fantastic innings, but that reception which Pant got was one of the loudest I’ve heard for an opposition player scoring a hundred in England. It was really well appreciated, because it was so entertaining.”

“We didn’t know what was coming! There were those falling scoops, full-blooded shots, run-out chances… everything was going on. Everything you want as a Test match fan — patience, leaving, then, a flair shot, putting the bowlers under pressure. The crowd really appreciated everything Rishabh Pant did. Box office – truly a box office innings,” he added.

–IANS

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