Pant Eyes Cricket Immortality: India Star on Verge of Elite Milestone in England Test

Rishabh Pant stands on the verge of joining an exclusive club of visiting batsmen as India prepares for the second Test of the series against England at Edgbaston, commencing on July 2.

The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, fresh from his twin centuries at Headingley, is just one century away from being included in a legendary group featuring names like Don Bradman, Rahul Dravid, and Brian Lara.

Pant showcased his explosive talent in the first Test at Leeds, smashing 134 and 118, with a range of impressive shots in both innings. Despite India's five-wicket defeat after setting England a target of 371, Pant's audacious stroke-making and resilience were a significant highlight.

He currently has 808 runs in 10 Tests in England, averaging 42.52, with four centuries. His highest score on English soil is 146 off just 111 balls, which he achieved at Edgbaston in 2022. That innings rescued India from 98 for 5 and helped them post a first-innings total of 416. Although India ultimately lost the match, Pant's innings remains one of the best by an Indian wicketkeeper overseas.

If Pant manages to score another century at Edgbaston, he will become only the seventh visiting batter to score centuries in three consecutive Tests in England. The prestigious list includes Don Bradman, Warren Bardsley, Charles Macartney, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, and Daryl Mitchell. Dravid is currently the only Indian on this list, achieving the feat in 2002.

Pant, already holding the record for most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper and the most runs by an Asian gloveman in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), has a significant opportunity to further solidify his place in cricket history.