Have you ever had a player annihilate your side and leave you in stunned amazement, sitting in a stupor in front of the television? Rishabh Pant has done that to me. Again. This time, he gruesomely smashed a brilliant 134 in England, the home of cricket, at Headingly. Therefore, not only did he provide India an imposing score in the first innings, but he also considered the issue of whether he can be considered as India’s greatest ever Test wicket-keeper batter once more. Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar endorses this view – and it’s not that remarkable.
Pant’s Numbers Speak Louder Than Noise
Pant isn’t just blasting centuries—he’s rewriting the record books. With seven Test hundreds, he has surpassed MS Dhoni, who is tied with six Test hundreds. And he’s only 27! The Leeds hundred wasn’t just another flashy innings. It was an abrasive Test match presence and style, the very things that shape his game.
He came to the crease at No. 5 with England smelling a way back. His innings did not come from some reckless onslaught, but from a well-thought-out counterattack, and also instinct. The one-handed six to bring up his hundreds wasn’t even a show-off move – it was Rishabh Pant being Rishabh Pant.
And this is a guy who already has Test centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa. That’s elite company.
Not Just a Batter—A Game-Changer Behind the Stumps
What makes Pant even more impressive is that he is not just on the team as a batter. It is hard enough in Test cricket as a wicket-keeper, with hours of crouching, absorbing balls in tough situations, facing spin, facing pace, then allegedly going in to impact the game with your bat.
Pant’s development as a keeper has been quite impressive, especially in conditions away from home. Remember that catch off Jadeja in the Australia series? Or the amazing stumping in Bangladesh where he flew like lightning? He’s not the young boy who was fumbling with easy takes. He’s appointed as confident, intelligent, and most importantly, consistent.
Add this to his batting and you have the complete package. Dhoni had ice in his veins. Saha had soft hands. Pant has chaos, charisma, and most importantly, clarity.
More Than Stats: It’s the Pant Energy
Ask any spectator—a Rishabh Pant does not just bat, a Pant performs. The somersault celebration at Headingley upon reaching his hundred, the audacious reverse sweeps, the voice behind the stumps—they’re all nothing more than a combination of my favorite Pant-isms, which together form a fan experience.
He brings a certain kind of electricity to Test cricket that few players bring to the sport these days. It is rare. It is raw. And it is extremely entertaining.
Even the notoriously chatty English crowd couldn’t resist giving him a standing ovation. That’s more than just runs. That’s respect. That’s appreciation for a player able to momentarily make you forget about the scoreboard, so you can simply appreciate the artistry of cricket.
Do you think Rishabh Pant is already the best keeper-batter in Test history for India? The numbers say yes. The impact says yes. And if he can remain fit and hungry, this is hardly the best version of Rishabh Pant yet.
In 2018, he walked in as a green and fearless kid. In 2023, he is the indispensable core member of India’s current red-ball cricket team. Pant has changed the narrative of what it means to be a keeper-batter at the Test cricket level.
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