Rishabh Pant once again demonstrated his potential to become an all-time great, marking his Test comeback with a century.
Rishabh Pant appeared to pick up right where he left off in Test cricket, scoring a century in his first match in the format since December 2022. Before his career was temporarily halted by a car crash at the end of that year, Pant was considered one of the most destructive batters in the longest format of the game.
Pant walked in to bat with India struggling at 3 wickets down within the first 10 overs of the opening Test against Bangladesh. He and Yashasvi Jaiswal stabilized the innings, adding 39 runs in 52 balls and ensuring no further wickets fell in that session. In the second session, Pant exploded with his sixth Test century, scoring 109 off 128 balls, including 13 fours and 4 sixes. His knock helped India set a target of 515, and Ravichandran Ashwin’s six-wicket haul secured a 280-run victory for the hosts at Chepauk Stadium.
The 26-year-old Rishabh Pant demonstrated why he deserved an immediate return to the squad once fit, despite the impressive performances of KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel as wicketkeeper-batters earlier in the year during his recovery. With this century, Pant has now matched former captain MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper. Former Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal even predicted that Pant is on track to break the all-time record for the most centuries by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket.
Pant vs Dhoni vs Gilchrist
The record for the most centuries by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket is held by the legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who revolutionized the role. Gilchrist retired with 17 Test centuries, scoring 5,570 runs at an impressive average of 47.61 across 96 Tests.
Close behind him in total runs is South Africa’s Mark Boucher, who accumulated 5,515 runs in 147 Tests at an average of 30.30. MS Dhoni ranks third on the list, with 4,876 runs in 90 Tests at an average of 38.09. In comparison, Pant has amassed 2,419 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 44.79.
While Pant still has a long way to go before he can challenge Gilchrist or Dhoni in terms of total runs or centuries, it’s notable that he currently outperforms both legends on several key metrics at the same stage in their careers.
In his first 34 Tests, Dhoni had accumulated 1,778 runs at an average of 37.04 with one century. Similarly, Gilchrist, like Pant, had scored six centuries by his 34th Test but with a total of 2,282 runs—slightly less than Pant’s current tally.
When it comes to wicketkeeping stats over their first 34 Tests, Pant is also quite close to what Gilchrist and Dhoni had achieved. Dhoni recorded 79 catches and 17 stumpings, while Gilchrist had 132 catches and 11 stumpings. Pant, thus far, has 120 catches and 14 stumpings.
Pant on Comparisons to Dhoni
Dhoni’s legacy in Indian cricket extends far beyond his batting and wicketkeeping. He captained India to victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy, and also led the team to its first No.1 Test ranking in 2008. When asked about being compared to Dhoni, Pant emphasized that he is focused solely on his own game.
“This is CSK’s home ground,” Pant said of the Chepauk Stadium, where he made his Test comeback against Bangladesh. “Mahi bhai has played a lot of cricket here. But as I’ve said before, I just want to be myself. I don’t pay attention to what’s being said or happening around me. I keep things simple and focus on giving my best. The atmosphere here was incredible, and I really enjoyed it,” Pant told JioCinema.
