The Indian vice-captain is hoping to dismantle the English line-up as he has done previously on numerous occasions
The Indian Test side, under the new captaincy of Shubman Gill, has already touched the English soil. Practice sessions are in full swing, and Rishabh Pant, India’s vice-captain, caught attention by breaking the stadium with a six. This incident allows us to shed light on Pant’s stint in England.
The Roorkee-based wicketkeeper-cum-batsman has played nine Test games on English soil. In 17 innings, he has amassed 556 runs, including two centuries and two half-centuries. His average stands at 32.70, whereas his strike rate is an impressive 66.34. In the eyes of many, the average may be a sore, but in the last two tours, Pant had two centuries and two fifties, a time when others struggled heavily on the Indian side.
India visited England for a tour in 2021, but the tour had to be cut short due to the pandemic, even though India was leading the series 2-1 after four matches. The team travelled again to England for the fifth game in 2022. The first innings saw Pant blast the English bowling lineup with 146 runs off 111 balls, turning Test cricket into a One-Day show. Pant hit 19 fours and six boundaries at a strike rate of 131.53. On the other end, Jadeja scored 104 runs, but unfortunately, the match went in England’s favour.
The year was 2018, and Captain Alastair Cook clicked all the right boxes, defeating India in three of the four games. Even the fifth game seemed to slip away from India’s favour. Chasing a target of 450 runs, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Hanuma Vihari left the pitch without contributing much. The only hope was KL Rahul, who was still at the crease, slowly moving towards a century.
And that’s when India found another beacon of hope – the debutant Rishabh Pant took the crease and scored 114 runs off 146 balls in 15 fours and four sixes. Despite Pant and Rahul’s efforts, India lost the game but found a flamboyant young hitter with wicketkeeping skills.
While this article is largely about Pant’s exploits in England, one cannot overlook his performance against England on home soil. Four years ago, in 2021, Rishabh Pant hit his first international Test century against England. The game was well in India’s control as the visitors were bundled for 205 runs. In response, Pant hit 101 runs in 118 balls, whereas Washington Sundar, on the other end, scored 96 to take India’s tally to 365 runs. India won the game by an innings and 25 runs.
In short, whether on home or away soil, Pant has a knack for scoring against England, and the Indian fans expect him to continue his form.
