India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant delivered a power-packed performance on Day 2 of the first Test match against England at Headingley, scoring his 7th Test century and surpassing Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s record for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Pant reached the milestone with a blistering knock of 134 runs off 178 balls, which included 10 boundaries and 4 sixes. His aggressive yet composed innings not only added crucial runs to India’s total but also etched his name into the history books of Indian cricket.
With this century, Pant overtook former captain MS Dhoni’s tally of six Test centuries as a wicketkeeper, setting a new benchmark for future generations. His innings came at a time when the team was consolidating a dominant position on the back of strong performances from the top order.
India started strong on Day 1, thanks to excellent centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) and captain Shubman Gill (147). The duo stitched together a 129-run partnership, helping India recover after the early dismissals of K. L. Rahul (42) and debutant B. Sai Sudarshan (0). Their partnership laid the foundation for India to post a formidable total and challenge England with a massive first-innings target of 471 runs.
With veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having stepped away from the longest format, this Test match marked a clear indication of a new era in Indian batting. The composed innings of Jaiswal, the leadership of Gill, and the explosiveness of Pant reflected the strength and maturity of India's next generation of cricketers.
Pant’s innings stood out not just as a personal feat but as a performance of strategic importance, further increasing India’s chances of securing a series-opening win.
Pant’s century, combined with those of Jaiswal and Gill, also placed India in a rare club. This match marks only the fourth time in Indian cricket history that three Indian batsmen have scored centuries in a single Test innings outside Asia:
1986 – Sydney: Sunil Gavaskar, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath
2002 – Headingley: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly
2006 – Gros Islet: Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif
2025 – Headingley: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
India's comprehensive performance in this Test signals a strong intent to dominate the World Test Championship and reclaim the title after 17 years.