If there’s ever been a comeback worth celebrating in Indian cricket, Rishabh Pant’s return to Test cricket is nothing short of inspirational. The star wicketkeeper-batsman, currently touring England with Team India, has made a thunderous impact with the bat — marking a remarkable return to form after a life-threatening car accident in December 2022.
On December 30, 2022, Pant’s Mercedes crashed into a divider near Mangalore on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, bursting into flames. He suffered multiple injuries and underwent a long, grueling recovery. Now, nearly 18 months later, Pant is back on the field — and performing better than ever. In the first Test at Leeds, Pant scored two aggressive centuries — 134 and 118 — showcasing his trademark flair and fearless batting. Though India lost the match by five wickets after failing to defend a target of 371 runs, Pant’s individual performance stood out, reigniting hope among fans and experts alike.
Pant has a strong record in English conditions. In 10 Tests, he has scored 808 runs in 19 innings, averaging 42.52, with four centuries and two fifties to his name. His best score — 146 off 111 balls — came at Edgbaston in July 2022, where he stunned England with a counter-attacking innings that included 19 fours and 4 sixes. In that match, he and Ravindra Jadeja rescued India from a precarious 98/5 to a total of 416. Despite their efforts, England chased down 378 to win. The second Test, scheduled to begin on July 2 at Edgbaston, could become a historic moment for Pant. If he scores another century there, he will become the seventh overseas batsman to score centuries in three consecutive
Tests in England, joining an elite list that includes:
Don Bradman
Warren Bardsley
Charles Macartney (All Australia)
Rahul Dravid (India)
Brian Lara (West Indies)
Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
Pant would also become only the second Indian, after Dravid, to achieve this rare feat. Dravid accomplished it in 2002, with centuries at Nottingham (148) and The Oval (217). Mitchell scored three back-to-back tons in 2022 at Lord’s (108), Nottingham (190), and Leeds (109).
Already, Rishabh Pant has broken several records. He surpassed M.S. Dhoni to become the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test centuries in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). He is also the highest run-scorer by an Asian wicketkeeper in these countries and holds the distinction of being the first Indian wicketkeeper to score two centuries in a single Test in Leeds. As the second Test approaches, all eyes are on Pant to see if he can continue this extraordinary form. One more century — and he won’t just be remembered for a great comeback, but as a name forever etched among cricket’s modern legends.
India's Test squad for England tour:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Iswaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Famous Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
England squad for the second Test:
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bettel, Harry Brook, Brydon Kars, Sam Cooke, Zach Crowley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.