New Delhi [India], August 18 (ANI): On this day in 2018, 10 years after a Delhi-born right-hander Virat Kohli’s generation-defining entry to international cricket, another Delhi youngster, Rishabh Pant,
stepped up to fulfil the heavy shoes of legendary MS Dhoni as India’s premier wicketkeeper-batter and a massive match-winner. After some promising outings in white-ball cricket since his debut in 2017, Pant was handed his debut Test cap during the Test against England at Nottingham. His first scoring shot was a six against Adil Rashid, and it served as the sign of a thrilling ride that was about to follow. From his Test debut till now, Pant has entertained Indian fans, saved his team with several counter-attacking knocks, while also frustrating in equal measures with his audacity, which often comes across as ‘stupidity’ or ‘recklessness’ to a Test cricket purists accustomed to the traditional defensive, ugly and patient form of red-ball cricket. Since his debut, Pant has played 47 Tests for India, scoring 3,427 runs in 82 innings at an average of 44.50, with a strike rate of 74.16. He has made eight centuries and 18 fifties, with the best score of 159*. Here are some aspects of his batting which make him India’s biggest Test match winner: -The rising ‘SENA’ pati for India Pant is Asia’s most successful wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) nations. In 30 SENA Tests, he has 2,160 runs at an average of 41.53, with six centuries and eight fifties, outdoing all his Asian counterparts in runs and centuries in these tough conditions. Only two of Pant’s eight centuries have come at home conditions, having scored four of them in England and one each in South Africa and Australia against some of the scariest bowling attacks in the world. He is also the Indian wicketkeeper-batter with the most Test tons (eight), having surpassed MS Dhoni during the recently concluded tour of England. During the Leeds Test, the 27-year-old swashbuckler was the second designated wicketkeeper batter with a glorious feat of twin centuries to his name, after Andy Flower, who achieved the feat against South Africa in Harare in 2001 with scores of 142 and 199*. Becoming the first Indian to do so was indeed special for the youngster as it marked a shift in their collective brand of cricket. -A remarkable six-hitter Pant matched legendary Virender Sehwag (90 sixes) in six-count after the end of the English summer, with 73 of these sixes coming in the WTC itself. He is the second-best six-hitter in competition’s history, with England skipper Ben Stokes (86) at the top. -India’s top ICC World Test Championship run-getter He ended the English summer with 2,731 runs in ICC WTC history, above ex-skipper Rohit Sharma’s (2,716 runs) at an average of 43.34 and a strike rate of 74.25, with six centuries and 16 fifties. He is the 11th-highest run-getter in the competition’s history. (ANI)
