ENG Vs IND: Rishabh Pant Eyes History! Set To Surpass MS Dhoni In Test Cricket Records
The wait is finally over as India prepares to meet England in a much-awaited five-match Test series, beginning June 20. The series ushers in a fresh World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for Team India, who are hoping to make a comeback after a dismal conclusion to the last cycle. But the Indian team starts this campaign with a different look, in the wake of the retirement of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
With two of India’s current greats taking a back seat, a new era of Indian Test cricket has opened up—headed by Shubman Gill, who becomes the captain. His sidekick is likely to be Rishabh Pant, tasked with leading the batting lineup. The series is most important for Pant, who seeks to put the critics to rest with a poor show in the IPL 2025 and reestablish himself in the longer game.
Pant on the Verge of Surpassing Dhoni’s Test Century Record
One of the most significant milestones within Pant’s reach is overtaking MS Dhoni’s Test century tally. Both Dhoni and Pant currently have six Test centuries to their names. If Pant manages to notch up another hundred in the upcoming Headingley Test, he will surpass Dhoni and become India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batter in terms of Test centuries.
What adds to the brilliance of this achievement is Pant’s performance in English conditions. Of his six centuries, three have been against England, two of which have been on English soil—at The Oval and Edgbaston. Of his other centuries, there’s one each against Australia, South Africa, and Bangladesh, proving that he could deliver in different conditions as well.
Approaching Another MS Dhoni Achievement
Pant isn’t only pursuing Dhoni in the century column. He’s also on the verge of overtaking him as far as runs made in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) nations—traditionally considered the most challenging overseas conditions for subcontinent batsmen.
As of now, Pant has made 1,681 runs in 26 SENA Tests at an impressive average of 37.35. MS Dhoni, in 32 SENA Tests, aggregated 1,732 runs at 31.47, with 13 half-centuries. A fifty in the first match of the series for Pant would make him the top-scoring Asian wicket-keeper in SENA conditions, a point that would further establish his increasing legacy in red-ball cricket.
A Series Defining Rishabh Pant
Though Pant’s limited-overs metamorphosis has lately raised some eyebrows, his red-ball credentials remain unrivaled among today’s wicketkeeper-batters. Frequented with the label of a game-changer in Tests, Pant does not choke under pressure and in alien conditions a tag already bestowed upon him internationally.
As India sets off on this new adventure with two of its legends no more, the focus now is firmly back on the next generation. For Pant, this series isn’t merely a attempt at redemption it’s an opportunity to become history, to pay respect to his idol Dhoni, and take India to a new age of Test cricket supremacy.