Rishabh Pant equals MS Dhoni to go to the top of the pile in Tests

Rishabh Pant is all of 26 years old and has played only 34 Tests, but he is statistically already India’s best-ever wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant entered the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, MS Dhoni’s adopted hometown, with five Test hundreds to his name. He was just one behind the master.

On Day 3 of the clash on September 21 (Saturday), the left-hander joined Dhoni at the top of the pile by smashing his sixth Test hundred. Pant (6) now has the joint-most tons for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. And he has remarkably got to the landmark in just 58 innings. Dhoni, for context, has six Test tons in 144 innings. 

Most Hundreds for India as a wicketkeeper in Tests

6 - Rishabh Pant (58 inns)

6 - MS Dhoni (144 inns)

3 - Wriddhiman Saha (58 inns)

2 - Bhudi Kunderan (28 inns)

2 - Farokh Engineer (87 inns)

2 - Syed Kirmani (124 inns)

This was an innings in which Pant showed the full package. He was very watchful at first, giving plenty of respect to the Bangladesh bowlers, biding his time. He got to his fifty off 88 balls, his third-slowest in Tests. 

However, the left-hander cut loose after getting to his half-century. He brought up his next 50 runs off just 36 balls. Pant particularly tore into Shakib Al Hasan, against whom he hit 41 runs off just 21 balls at a strike rate of 195.20. He hit six fours and two sixes off the veteran left-arm spinner.

Just after getting to his hundred, however, Pant departed, chipping one back to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, trying to up the ante further.

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.