Rishabh Pant has etched his name into the record books with a phenomenal display of batting in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. The young wicket-keeper batsman became only the second wicket-keeper in the history of Test cricket to score twin centuries in a match, joining Zimbabwe's Andy Flower in this elite club. Flower achieved the feat against South Africa in Harare in 1999, scoring 142 and an unbeaten 199*.
Pant's record-breaking performance saw him score a magnificent 134 in the first innings, followed by a blistering 118 in the second. His twin tons have put India in a commanding position, but with a day still to play, the match is far from over.
In the first innings, Pant's 134 came off just 138 balls and was studded with half a dozen sixes. He also shared a 209-run partnership with Shubman Gill, who also scored a century, as India piled up 471. In the second innings, Pant continued his impressive form, smashing 15 fours and three sixes in his 118-run knock, which came off 140 deliveries.
With these two centuries, Pant has broken several records. He is now the first Indian wicket-keeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, and the seventh Indian overall to achieve this feat. The other Indians to have scored centuries in both innings of a Test are Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (thrice), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma. Pant also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara's record for the highest match aggregate by an Asian wicket-keeper in a Test match. Pant's aggregate of 252 (134 and 118) is now the highest, surpassing Sangakkara's 244 (230 and 14) against Pakistan in Lahore.
Furthermore, Pant is only the third visiting batsman this century to score twin tons in England, after Shai Hope and Steve Smith. He is also the fourth Indian batter to slam twin centuries in a SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) Test. The others are Vijay Hazare, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. He also now has eight Test centuries, the most for an Indian wicketkeeper, going past MS Dhoni. This is also his fourth century in England.
Despite Pant and India's strong position, the match remains delicately poised. India have a lead of over 300 runs, but the English batting lineup is known for its resilience and ability to chase down big targets. The pitch is also expected to favor the batsmen on the final day, which could make it difficult for the Indian bowlers to pick up wickets. India will need to bowl exceptionally well and maintain their discipline to secure a victory. England, on the other hand, will need a strong start from their top order and will be hoping for a repeat of their heroics from the Headingley Test in 2017 when they chased down 359 to win against Australia.
The final day promises to be a thrilling affair, with both teams having a chance to win. While Rishabh Pant's record-breaking twin tons have undoubtedly given India the upper hand, the game is still very much anybody's to win.
