Rishabh Pant surpasses MS Dhoni in another record during Lord’s Test

Rishabh Pant has made a habit of breaching records every time he bats in Test cricket.

Another innings, another instance of breaking a record for Rishabh Pant, who continues to blaze a trail that few wicketkeeper-batters have managed in the history of Test cricket. On Day 2 of the Lord’s Test against England, Pant etched his name into the record books yet again. It was fascinating to see him bat in the first place after he failed to keep wickets due to an injury in his left index finger.

Pant goes past MS Dhoni

However, despite less than an hour remaining in the day, Pant defied odds. He came to bat before breaking a record, and this time going past MS Dhoni’s highest run tally in a SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) Test series.

Pant’s total in the ongoing series now stands at 361*, surpassing Dhoni’s 349-run mark in England back in 2014. Remarkably, Pant already held two spots on that list with 349 runs in England (2021) and 350 in Australia (2018). But this latest feat firmly separates him at the top.

It is quite funny that Pant has also breached this record, and he has six more opportunities to bat in the series (at maximum). If he continues to bat well like he has been doing, Pant could also break the all-time record for scoring the most runs in a Test series as a keeper. The record is currently held by South Africa’s Denis Lindsay, who scored 606 runs against Australia in the 1966/1967 series.

Most Runs by Asian Wicket-keepers in a SENA Test Series

Defiant Pant writing his legacy

After hurting his finger while keeping on Day 1, Pant didn’t take the field. But once he came out to bat, he looked unfazed, fluent in footwork, crisp in strokeplay, and full of intent. Coming in at 65/3, Pant stitched together a crucial partnership with KL Rahul to steady India’s innings in response to England’s 387. Where Rahul brought control, Pant batted flair, racing to another milestone.

This is no longer just about being the best Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Rishabh Pant is now building a legacy that puts him among India’s all-time great Test batters. Whether it was twin hundreds in Leeds earlier in the series or another rescue act at Lord’s, Pant has made a habit of delivering when India needs him most.

He now has four Test centuries in England, only two behind Rahul Dravid’s six, and tied with Tendulkar and Kohli at four. His attacking approach in the toughest conditions has set him apart from predecessors like Dhoni and Farokh Engineer.