Records, entertainment and courage: Three letters defining Rishabh's 'Pantastic' English summer
Pant
had a memorable outing in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, a series that he will remember forever, a series which will be defined by his records-breaking performances, hours worth of entertainment in front and behind the stumps, and his sheer determination, courage to whatever it takes to further his team's cause.
Pant ended the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the sixth-highest run-getter and India's fourth-highest run-scorer, with 479 runs in four innings at an average of 68.42 and an attacking strike rate of 77.63. During the course of his seven innings, he scored two centuries and three fifties, with a best score of 134.
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Here is a match-by-match look into Pant's memorable outing with the bat:
1st Test at Leeds: Scores of 134 and 118
Right from the match first, Pant, the newly-appointed vice-captain, played his cricket with an ODI tempo. In the first innings, he had a memorable 209-run stand for the fourth wicket with skipper Shubman Gill, scoring a remarkable 134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 75.28.
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In the second innings, when India needed a massive lead after England fell just six short of their first innings score of 471 runs, Pant stitched a 195-run stand with KL Rahul. It was a massive contrast of approaches, one Dinesh Karthik described while commentating as a partnership where 'classic music' joins forces with 'hip hop'. He responded with an even quicker 118 in 140 balls, with 15 eye-catchy fours and three towering sixes, with his strike being around 84.
Rishabh entered in an elite club of legends, having smashed twin tons, with Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (3 times), Rahul Dravid (2 times), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma being the other occupants, and Rishabh being the most feisty and thrilling of them all.
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*. Pant also joined Don Bradman, Hansie Cronje, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, and Daryl Mitchell among visiting batters with five consecutive 50-plus scores in England, with Australia's talismanic star Steven Smith heading the list with seven.
During the course of this match, it was records raining for Pant. He completed his 3,000 Test runs and outdid his idol and ex-Indian captain MS Dhoni for most Test tons by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter (Dhoni having seven and Pant getting his eighth in the second innings).
It was also during this Test match, that he outdid Dhoni to become the Asia's most successful wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) nations.
In six-hitting as well, he outdid former skipper Rohit Sharma to become India's top six-hitter in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history. On the wicketkeeping front, he joined Dhoni and Syed Kirmin the 150 Test catches club among wicketkeepers.
However, just like it had happened way back in 2018 at Southampton, the Pant-Rahul partnership once again failed to avert a tragedy, as India could not defend a total of 371 runs.
2nd Test at Birmingham: Scores of 25 and 65
During the second Test, Pant was dismissed for a 42-ball 25 just when he was about to take-off, while Gill piled up runs. However, during the second innings, with a 180-run lead already in the pocket, he added a quickfire 65 runs worth its weight in gold in just 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 112.06. His 110-run stand for the fourth wicket with Gill helped India set up a match-winning target of 608 runs.
During this match, he became the first Asian wicketkeeper-batter to complete 2,000 Test runs in SENA conditions.
3rd Test at Lord's: Scores of 74 and nine
This was the match when Pant first sustained a freak finger injury while wicketkeeping. While Dhruv Jurel took his place behind the stumps, he came out to bat nonetheless in the first innings, forming a 141-run stand with KL when India was down to 107/3. He chipped in a solid knock of 74 in 112 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, but was unlucky as he missed out on a century due to a runout just before the session one end. This run-out was the turning point of the game, as after their first innings scores of 387 each, a gulf of 192 runs separated both the sides by the end of England's second innings. This seemingly small target proved to be a huge mountain to climb, with Pant becoming the fifth fatality to a Jofra Archer jaffa for just nine. India lost the match by 22 runs, despite Ravindra Jadeja's remarkable resistance along with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
During the match, Pant also became the first visiting wicketkeeper to amass 400-plus runs in a single Test series in England and the Indian keeper-batter with the most runs on an England tour. However, amid all the records, a glimpse of Pant's bravery stood out as he handled blows to his injured finger masterfully and chipped in with valuable runs.
4th Test at Manchester: Score of 54
This proved to be Pant's final Test of the series. During the first innings, Pant sustained a scary-looking foot injury while attempting to reverse-sweep a Chris Woakes yorker. A show of dare-devilry seemed to cost India big time as he was back in the hut, retired hurt for 37*. However, on the next day, when Team India needed some crucial runs, he displayed one of the biggest moments of courage, hunger and resolve, as he walked out to bat with an injured foot, barely able to stand and taking support of stadium stairs. He chipped in 17 more runs, completing his third half-century, before he was undone by Jofra Archer yet again for 54 in 75 balls, with three fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 75.00. Despite his injury, Rishabh just could not help himself, smashing Archer for a six with minimal footwork in a statement of his fearlessness.
During this match, Pant entered the company of elite Indians with 1,000-plus runs in England, joined Virender Sehwag as the joint-highest six-hitter in Indian Test cricket history and leapfrogged the 'Hitman', Rohit Sharma, to become India's top run-getter in WTC history.
Pant's stats underwent a major glow-up, as he ended with 3,427 runs in 47 Tests and 82 innings at an average of 44.50, strike rate of 74.16, with eight centuries and 18 fifties and best score of 159*.
In 30 SENA Tests, he ended with 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.
He ended the English summer with 2,731 runs in ICC WTC history, above Rohit's (2,716 runs) at an average of 43.34 and a strike rate of 74.25, with six centuries and 16 fifties. The England tour concluded with Pant matching Sehwag (90 sixes) in six-count, 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.
In England, he has made 1,035 runs at an average of 43.12, with four centuries and five fifties in 24 innings and a best score of 146.
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