Leeds (UK), June 23 (IANS) Rishabh Pant etched his name in the record books yet again, becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. The historic feat came during the fourth day of the first Test against England at Headingley, as Pant continued his dazzling run with the bat, bringing up his second hundred of the match in just 130 balls.

Pant, who had scored a fluent 134 in the first innings, followed it up with another masterclass under pressure, helping India stretch their second innings lead with a counter-attacking 118. With this, he joins an elite list of just 10 Indian cricketers—including Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli—to have registered centuries in both innings of a Test match.

More notably, he also became only the second wicketkeeper in the history of Test cricket to achieve this rare feat, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower did so back in 2001.

This was Pant’s 8th Test century, and he now stands tall as India’s most successful wicketkeeper in terms of Test hundreds. The milestone is all the more significant as it came at a time when India were in a precarious position on Day 4. Walking in with the match in the balance, Pant absorbed the pressure with ease and turned the tide with his trademark aggression.

Displaying fearless strokeplay, Pant was especially severe on young spinner Shoaib Bashir, dispatching him to all parts of the ground with cheeky paddles, authoritative sweeps, and fearless charges down the pitch. His innings was laced with innovation and intent, as he stayed true to his attacking brand of cricket, regardless of the match situation.

Adding to his growing legend, Pant—playing just his 44th Test—has now also surpassed MS Dhoni to become the highest-scoring Indian wicketkeeper in Tests on English soil.

–IANS

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