India vs England: After Headingley heroics, Rishabh Pant on the brink of joining cricket's elite in England
Rishabh Pant (Getty Image)
NEW DELHI:
Rishabh Pant
is on the cusp of entering an elite club of visiting batters as India gear up for the second Test of the series against England at Edgbaston starting July 2.
Following his twin centuries at Headingley, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is now one ton away from joining a legendary list that includes
Don Bradman
,
Rahul Dravid
and Brian Lara.
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Pant smashed 134 and 118 in the first Test at Leeds, showcasing a dazzling array of strokes in both innings. Despite India's five-wicket defeat after setting England a target of 371, Pant's audacious shot-making and resilience stood out as the highlight of the match.
Poll
Will Rishabh Pant score a century in the second Test at Edgbaston?
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He now has 808 runs in 10 Tests in England at an average of 42.52, including four centuries. His highest score on English soil - 146 off just 111 balls - came at Edgbaston in 2022, when he rescued India from 98 for 5 and helped post a first-innings total of 416.
Though India eventually lost that match, Pant's innings remains one of the finest by an Indian wicketkeeper overseas.
Leeds to Birmingham: On the road with TOI Sports
If he scores a hundred again at Edgbaston, Pant will become only the seventh visiting batter to score centuries in three successive Tests in England. The exclusive list features Don Bradman, Warren Bardsley, Charles Macartney, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid and
Daryl Mitchell
. Dravid remains the only Indian on that list, having achieved the feat in 2002.
Pant, who already holds the record for most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper and the most runs by an Asian gloveman in SENA countries, now has a golden opportunity to further etch his name in the history books.
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