Rishabh Pant on the verge of third consecutive Test century in England, can spread the wings of history at Edgbaston
Pant’s New Chapter in England: What Will History Write?
Indian wicket‑keeper batter Rishabh Pant (vice‑captain) is on the verge of another historic milestone. If he scores a century in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham—starting on 2 July—he will become only the seventh visiting batsman to notch centuries in three consecutive Tests in England.
1. The Elite Benchmark – Bradman, Dravid, Lara
So far, only six overseas batsmen have achieved this rare feat in England:
- Don Bradman
- Warren Bardsley
- Charles Macartney
- Rahul Dravid (115 at Nottingham, 148 at Leeds, 217 at The Oval in 2002)
- Brian Lara
- Daryl Mitchell (108 at Lord’s, 190 at Nottingham, 109 at Leeds in 2022)
If Pant joins this elite company, he’ll follow in the footsteps of Bradman, Dravid, and Lara—and become only the second Indian after Dravid to do so.
2. Pant’s Spectacular Recent Form
- In the First Test at Leeds, Pant scored twin centuries: 134 and 118
- He became the first Indian wicket‑keeper to score hundreds in both innings of a Test in England
- Despite his heroics, India lost by five wickets
- In England, his overall numbers stand at 808 runs in 10 Tests (19 innings) at an average of 42.52, including 4 centuries and 2 fifties
- His highest score—146 off 111 balls with 19 fours and 4 sixes—came at Edgbaston in July 2022, rescuing India from 98/5 to 416 before a thrilling loss
3. Pant’s Record‑Breaking Feats
- Holds the record for most Test centuries by an Indian wicket‑keeper (8 centuries)
- Has scored the most runs by any Asian wicket‑keeper in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia): 1,933 runs in 27 matches, including 6 centuries and 5 fifties
- First Indian keeper‑batter to record twin centuries in a single Test
4. A Heroic Leeds Show, but a Defeat
- At Headingley, five Indian batsmen scored centuries (Jaiswal, Gill, Rahul, Pant x2), but India still lost—a rare occurrence
- England’s Ben Duckett countered with 149 in the fourth innings, and the match saw a combined 1,673 runs—the highest aggregate between India and England in Test history
5. Playing XIs for the Second Test
India (Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, England tour)
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice‑captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur; Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
England (Edgbaston Test)
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
6. Jofra Archer’s Return & England’s Strategy
- Jofra Archer has been added to England’s Test squad for the second Test, marking his return since 2021 after elbow and back injuries
- Rob Key described Archer as a “rare talent” and suggested he might debut in either the Edgbaston Test or Lord’s third Test, but cautioned against rushing him back
- Former captain Nasser Hussain and Sussex’s Paul Farbrace urged caution, recommending Archer wait until the third Test to safeguard his fitness
7. What Lies Ahead?
- If Pant scores yet another century at Edgbaston, he will become:
- Only the second Indian (after Dravid) to score centuries in three straight Tests in England
- The seventh overseas batsman overall to achieve this feat
- This achievement would further cement his reputation as a national icon and be a major turning point in the series (20 June–4 August 2025)
Final Word
Rishabh Pant’s England tour has already reached historic heights. A century at Edgbaston could not only etch his name alongside legends like Bradman and Lara but also mark a proud milestone for Indian cricket. Meanwhile, England’s decision to reintroduce Archer adds another layer of intrigue to the clash.
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