ENG vs IND: Will Rishabh Pant become a bigger headache for England in the Test series?

Rishabh Pant’s twin centuries in the Headingley Test made him the first Indian wicketkeeper to achieve the feat, putting India in control and cementing his role as one of the key figures in the series against England.

Team India vice-captain Rishabh Pant has delivered yet another masterclass performance in the ongoing first Test of the five-match series against England at Headingley in Leeds on Monday, June 23.

After scoring a century (134) in the first innings of the series opener, Rishabh Pant came up with yet another scintillating century in the second innings, showcasing his love affair with English conditions. Walking in to bat at No.5 after India were at 92/3 after skipper Shubman Gill’s dismissal in the first hour on Day 4 of the morning session.

Rishabh Pant demonstrated his maturity and composure and launched a calculated counterattack against England’s bowling attack, stitching a match-defining partnership with KL Rahul to put India in a commanding position and pile pressure back on the hosts.

Rare, remarkable feat by an Indian wicketkeeper

Rishabh Pant has been in a brilliant form from the start of the start of Test centuries, with twin centuries in a Headingley Test. Both centuries were crucial in rescuing India from crucial situations and turning the tide in the visitors’ favour. In the first innings, Pant scored 134 off 178 balls and formed a 209-run stand for the fourth wicket to help India post a total of 471.

In the second innings, Pant played a brilliant knock of 118 off 140 balls and formed a crucial 195-run stand for the fourth wicket to bring India close to taking a 300-run lead from the first innings. The knock was quite special, not just for iming and impact but also for his controlled aggression and temperament that Pant exhibited, which was often overshadowed by his flamboyance.

With two centuries in a Test, Rishabh Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter and the second after former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower to score a century in both innings of a Test match.

Rishabh Pant’s second century in the Headingley Test is his fourth Test century against England in England, extending his overall record. Additionally, the southpaw has inched closer to MS Dhoni’s record for the most runs scored by a wicketkeeper–batter in Tests against England in England. Dhoni has aggregated 778 runs, including eight centuries, at an average of 37.04 in 12 matches.

After his second century in the Headingley Test, Pant has amassed 763 runs, including 4 centuries and 2 fifties, at an average of 44.88 in 17 innings.

England gets Pant’s threat for the remainder of the Test series

Rishabh Pant has once again firmly established himself as England’s biggest nemesis with the bat. After the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Pant has seamlessly stepped into the leadership void and emerged as one of the batting pillars of this new-look Indian side in the ongoing Test series against England.

Pant has always enjoyed playing in overseas conditions, especially in England, and his record speaks for itself, with four of his eight Test centuries coming on English soil. His performance in the Headingley Test has probably laid the foundation for a defining series with the bat, not just for himself but for India’s resurgence in the red-ball post era of two batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Through his performance in the Headingley Test, Rishabh Pant has probably sent a warning to England bowlers about what’s coming their way in the remainder of the series. Pant and other batters, including Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul, have successfully leveraged England’s inexperienced bowling attack, which does not have James Anderson and Stuart Broad, by capitalizing on their inconsistency and lack of control under pressure.

With four matches left in the ongoing Test series, Rishabh Pant’s red-hot form could well tilt in India’s favour if England fail to find answers to his aggressive yet calculated approach.