Rishabh Pant became the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to score 2500 test runs, leaving Dhoni behind.

By News Update On Oct 20, 2024

Rishabh Pant registered his name in the record books on Saturday, becoming the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to score 2500 Test runs on the rain-affected fourth day of the ongoing first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Pant achieved the feat in just 62 innings, surpassing the previous record of former captain MS Dhoni, who had achieved the feat in 69 innings. Another legend of Indian cricket, Farooq Engineer, had earlier made this record in 82 innings.

Pant's remarkable feat came as India made a strong comeback to post 344/3 despite an early lunch due to rain. India is just 12 runs behind New Zealand's first innings lead of 356 runs. Pant's aggressive innings of 53 off 56 balls played a key role in India's resurgence, with Sarfaraz Khan scoring his maiden Test century.

India started the fourth day at 231/3 and Pant and Sarfaraz were given the responsibility of taking India closer to the target. Despite suffering a knee injury while keeping on the third day, Pant showed no signs of discomfort and took charge with his signature aggressive style. After a cautious start, he counter-attacked, hitting two consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel and executing brilliant drives and sweeps.

Pant completed his 12th Test half-century in 55 balls with a brilliant cover drive off Glenn Phillips, showing his controlled aggression. His partnership with Sarfaraz scored 113 runs in 22 overs and helped India recover from early setbacks and move towards a potential lead.

Sarfaraz made headlines by scoring a brilliant century in his fifth Test, but Pant's contribution in stabilizing the innings was equally important. The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has been a cornerstone of India's Test lineup since his debut in 2018, playing several match-winning innings in overseas conditions, including memorable performances in Australia and England.