New Delhi: The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne 2024 saw Rishabh Pant get out at 28 runs after playing a rash, unorthodox shot that drew sharp criticism from Sunil Gavaskar, who labelled it “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Fast forward to Day 4 of the test match against England in Headingley, Pant’s spectacular twin centuries left the Indian cricket legend applauding, calling his first ton “superb, superb, superb” — a marked turnaround reflecting Pant’s historic achievement.
Pant made history by becoming the first Indian batter to score two centuries in the same Test match on English soil. His twin hundreds not only carved his name in the record books, but have further elevated his status as India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batsman in Tests ever.
India’s first innings ended at 471/10, largely due to contributions of Pant (134), skipper Shubman Gill (147) and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). This rare feat saw five tons in a single Test match, a first for India. The remarkable performance continued in the second innings, where K.L.Rahul (137) and Pant (118) added to the tally, making it a historic five centuries.
It’s happened five times previously, with only Australia having scored five hundreds in an away Test—in Jamaica in 1955. The team had posted a mammoth 758 runs with 5 centuries against West Indies at Kingston.
The other instances was in 2001 (Multan) when Pakistan posted 531 runs with 5 tons against Bangladesh, in 2007 (Lord’s) when England scored 790 with 5 centuries, in 2012 (Galle) when Sri Lanka amassed 868 with 5 hundreds against Bangladesh, and in 2014 (Abhu Dhabi) when Pakistan tallied 808 with 5 centuries against Pakistan.
Also Read: Eng vs India: With Gill leading from the front, India steps into next era of Test cricket
Building the lead
India lost the prized wicket of Gill in the first few minutes of Day 4. The visiting side, far from a comfortable lead, needed the batting pair Rahul and Pant to ease the pressure and build a partnership and they did so. Both of them got 100s but the nature of the centuries were stark opposites—Rahul polished but Pant chance laden yet effective.
After starting the day at just 96 runs ahead, and having lost a third wicket in their second innings early on, India were stabilised by Pant, who combined alongside Rahul to add 195 runs for the fourth wicket. The stand was India’s highest-ever partnership for the fourth wicket during their second innings of a Test match in England.
Rahul was impressive with the bat, making it count with his ninth Test century. The calculated innings, 137 off 247 deliveries, included 14 boundaries as he dictated the pace of the play.
Rahul broke the record for most centuries by an Asian opener in England in Test cricket. This was his third Test ton in England as an opener, which is now the most, pipping Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri, Tamim Iqbal and Vijay Merchant, all of whom had two tons as openers.
Superb, superb, superb 😁 👏 pic.twitter.com/JtVkJdvfbg
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 23, 2025
On the other hand, Pant’s innings was typical of him: some dropped chances, lucky edges that didn’t find fielders, some self-talking and control, and others leaving Ben Stokes-led England clueless. He finished with 118 runs at a brisk pace off 140 deliveries, dishing out 15 fours and three sixes during his outing that has created history.
When Pant started his innings, he jumped down the track on the very second ball, edging it for four. The conditions and match situation were not very supportive of India, Pant found himself in the middle of many what-if chances — skying one that fell away from any fielders, trying to reverse an inswinger that made impact with his pads and other edges.
In the first session, it was a hard fought 31 coming from his bat throughout the first session from 59 balls at a strike rate of 53, holding himself back.
After his failed reverse attempt, Pant was caught on the stump mic motivating himself: “Waise zaruri nahi hai. Maarna hai to seedha lag jayega na next ball. Zabardasti try kar raha hai (It is not important. If you want to hit, do it with a straight bat next ball. Why are you trying to score forcefully).”
What followed in the second session was Pant in his element displaying the range of his shots, taking on England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir back to back sixes and counter attacking against the English bowling whenever he got the chance.
Pant’s nerves were palpable as he edged closer to the milestone, spending 25 balls in the nervous 90s—a stage where he’s been dismissed 7 times before. Yet, he steadied himself to cross the line.
Gavaskar and Shastri gave Pant a standing ovation, with the former urging him to celebrate with his trademark handspring from the first innings, though Pant refrained, mindful of the match situation and India’s still uphill task.
Rewriting records
Pant became the second wicket keeper after Andy Flower to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. The former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper had scored 141 and 199* against South Africa at Harare in 2001.
The 252 runs scored by Pant in both innings at Headingley represent the most by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test, surpassing Budhi Kunderan’s 230 against England in Chennai in 1964. Pant’s 252 is also the fourth-highest for a wicketkeeper in a Test; the three performances ahead of him are all by Flower.
The southpaw now has 8 Test hundreds, a feat he shares with England’s Les Ames. Only Australia’s Adam Gilchrist (17) and Flower (12) have more Test centuries while playing as a wicketkeeper.
Pant has scored 4 Test hundreds in England, the most for a wicketkeeper, alongside Alec Stewart and Matt Prior of England. His four Test tons in England are also the most for a visiting wicketkeeper in a country. He is now only behind Rahul Dravid (6) having equalled Sachin Tendulkar and Dilip Vengsarkar’s record of tons (4) for India in England.
The wicketkeeper is the seventh Indian player to score two hundreds in a single Test match, after Gavaskar, Dravid, Vijay Hazare, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma.
The Indian hit 9 sixes at Headingley, the joint-most by any batter in a Test in England. Andrew Flintoff and Ben Stokes reached the milestone against Australia at Birmingham in 2005 and at Lord’s in 2023, respectively.
Veteran sports broadcaster Harsha Bhogle expressed the brilliance he’d found in Pant. “The bewitching brilliance of #RishabhPant was on the show. Few players in the modern game have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Pant always does. He enriches our game,” he posted on ‘X’.
Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh took to Instagram to laud Pant, saying “Back to back brilliance, turning pressure into fireworks, bravo champ.”
Thanks to the centuries from Pant and Rahul, India finished their second innings at 364 runs, despite being 287/4 at one point. This echoed the first innings where India were 430/3 before being all out for 471.
India set England a challenging target of 371 runs to chase on the final day of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. England ended Day 4 at 21/0, aiming to replicate their record highest successful chase of 378 against India in Birmingham, 2022, where they won by seven wickets.
India will now be looking towards talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah and other bowlers to defend the target, while England will look to their heroes to script another memorable chase.
(Edited by Tony Rai)