Key Takeaways
- Rishabh Pant’s century helped India achieve a historic moment, the fourth instance of three Indian batsmen scoring centuries in a single Test innings outside Asia.
- Pant’s aggressive flair and tactical nous have reaffirmed his status as India’s Test crisis man and vice-captain.
- India’s young core has dominated the scoreboard and underlined a new era of bold, fearless Test cricket in foreign conditions.
Leeds: Rishabh Pant etched his name in the record books yet again as he struck a blistering century against England at Headingley, helping India script a historic moment — the fourth instance of three Indian batters scoring hundreds in the same Test innings outside Asia.
Pant’s unbeaten century, brought up in trademark style with a one-handed six off Shoaib Bashir, followed sublime hundreds by young openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill. The trio’s centuries marked a rare and elite achievement for Indian Test cricket abroad.
This is a rare achievement for Indian Test cricket abroad, with only three previous instances: 1986 against Australia in Sydney, 2002 against England at Headingley, and 2006 against the West Indies at Gros Islet.
The previous occasions were in 1986, when Sunil Gavaskar, Kris Srikkanth, and Mohinder Amarnath achieved the feat against Australia in Sydney; in 2002, when Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly did so against England at Headingley; and in 2006, when Virender Sehwag, Dravid, and Mohammad Kaif repeated the milestone against the West Indies at Gros Islet.
Pant’s resurgence in form has been a significant factor in his recent success, with this century being the third time he has reached a Test century with a six — all three against English spinners. Having rediscovered form in the IPL against RCB, he has now scored back-to-back Test centuries in England.
The moment in the 99.1 over perfectly captured Pant’s audacious brilliance — stepping out to Shoaib Bashir and launching a one-handed six to bring up his seventh Test century, followed by a helmet-off salute, bat drop, and his now-signature somersault celebration.
This marked the third time Pant has reached a Test century with a six — all three against English spinners (Adil Rashid, Joe Root, and Shoaib Bashir), a rare club in which only Sachin Tendulkar (six times) and Rohit Sharma (three times) also feature.
With this innings, Pant now holds the record for most Test centuries by a designated wicketkeeper for India (7), overtaking MS Dhoni (6) and Wriddhiman Saha (3). His aggressive flair, tactical nous, and ability to rise in pressure situations reaffirm his status as India’s Test crisis man and vice-captain.
India, driven by its young core, has not just dominated the scoreboard — they’ve underlined a new era of bold, fearless Test cricket in foreign conditions.
