Let’s be honest—Rishabh Pant is not a conventional Test cricketer. He does not “grind” like other players. He comes in and flips the game over and rewrites it like it is a casual net session on a Sunday. Whether it is reverse-scooping James Anderson or smashing Nathan Lyon over long-on, Pant has become the chaos that India didn’t know they needed but can’t live without right now.
First Indian Keeper to Score Hundreds in Both Innings of a Test
Pant not only lit up Leeds; he made history. With twin tons of 134 and 118, he didn’t just guard the stumps—he stormed into history as India’s first gloveman to double up in a Test. Only one other player, Andy Flower in 2001, has done that. This was not just great, it was icon-sized.
Also, only six other Indian batters- not keepers- have scored twin tons in a Test match. This is not a milestone. This is a statement.
Most Test Hundreds by an Indian Wicketkeeper—and He’s Just Getting Started
In just 44 Tests, Pant has rewritten the keeper’s playbook—eight centuries, and not a glove out of place. Let that sink in. MS Dhoni ended with six, but played double the number of Test match games.
Pant doesn’t just score hundreds—he colonizes cricketing fortresses, from The Oval to the Gabba, with fearless flair. No flat track bully vibes here. He is doing this everywhere against everyone with the same charm and discomforting fearlessness. And he is just 27.
Most Catches in a Test Match (Joint Record)
There’s more to it than the showmanship and friendly banter often associated with the role of a wicketkeeper, though I do miss a classic Rishabh Pant sledge! It’s about being consistent, alert, and having safe hands. Pant proved this back in 2018 when he took 11 catches in a single Test against Australia in Adelaide.
That haul now ties the all-time Test haul, putting him in the likes of legends Jack Russell and AB de Villiers. And before you think this potted history is something you can ignore and cast aside to use as trivia at a pub quiz it proves, beyond doubt, that Pant’s glove work (which not too long ago was doubted and reviewed) has moved from a ‘work in progress’ to a ‘world-class weapon.’
India’s Fastest Fifty in Tests—Pant Does It in 28 Balls
Of course, to not mention Pant without mentioning his ludicrous obsession with strike rate would be an injustice. When he gets in the groove, Test cricket almost resembles T20. With a bat blazing like festival fireworks, he stormed to a 50 in 28 balls—India’s fastest in Test whites, and in style.
That number has the best all-time in Tests, alongside legends such as Jack Russell and AB de Villiers. And this is more than a ‘fun stat’, if anything, it shows how far Pant’s glove work is now an elite keeper, when it was previously rated as a weakness!
Highest Overseas Score by an Indian Keeper—159 Not Out in Sydney
Finally, let us take our minds back to January 2019. India vs Australia. Sydney. Pant walks in and scores an unbeaten 159 off 189 balls, including a score of 15 fours and a six. This is still the highest overseas score by any Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket.
A young Pant walked into one of cricket’s most intimidating cauldrons and behaved like he was there before. That innings changed the narrative and confirmed he was a generational talent.
As the red-ball format changes and India evolves toward a more robust future, one thing is for certain – Rishabh Pant is not, with respect, just a highlight reel – he is a developing legacy.
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