Rishabh Pant Becomes Second Wicketkeeper to Hit Twin Hundreds in a Test Match

Rishabh Pant created history at Headingley on Monday, becoming just the second wicketkeeper-batter in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match. The 27-year-old Indian achieved the rare feat during the first Test against England, following in the footsteps of Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, who scored 142 and 199* against South Africa in Harare back in 2001.

Highest Match Aggregate by an Indian Wicketkeeper-Batter

Pant’s scores of 134 in the first innings and 118 in the second gave him a match aggregate of 252 runs the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in a single Test. He broke a 61-year-old record held by Budhi Kunderan, who had amassed 230 runs against England in Chennai in 1964.

Surpasses Dhoni’s Record for Most Test Centuries by an Indian Wicketkeeper

In the first innings, Pant also overtook M.S. Dhoni’s record for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. His 134-run knock was his seventh in Test cricket, moving past Dhoni’s tally of six. The innings was a trademark Pant effort aggressive and fearless featuring 12 boundaries and six towering sixes off just 178 deliveries.

Pant continued his outstanding performance in the second innings with a fluent 118 before being out. His counterattacking cricket kept the scoreboard moving as India established a powerful lead. Although he couldn’t remain unbeaten, his 118-run innings kept India in a strong position for most of the match.

Rishabh Pant Becomes Seventh Indian with Twin Test Tons

Pant has now joined just seven Indian players in a lifetime’s work who have achieved twin centuries in a single Test, and he is in exalted company alongside Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Hazare, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane. He is also only the second wicketkeeper in the history of the game to achieve the distinction, emphasizing its rarity and value.

Rishabh Pant Joins Hall of Test Greats with Twin-Ton Milestone

Having achieved twin centuries at Headingley, Pant is now part of an elite club of cricketers around the world who have hit hundreds in both innings of a Test match a list that includes greats such as Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and Jacques Kallis. It speaks volumes about Pant’s exceptional consistency, flexibility, and match-winning ability in the longest game.