Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could join a list of legends like Don Bradman, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara with another century at Edgbaston during the second Test against England. Pant continued his red-hot Test form, slamming entertaining, counter-attacking and stroke-filled 134 and 118 during the first Leeds Test, which went in vain as India failed to defend the target of 371 runs and lost by five wickets. The swashbuckling left-hander has a solid record in England, with 808 runs in 10 Tests and 19 innings at an average of 42.52, with four centuries and two fifties. His best score is 146.
The last time he was at Edgbaston back in July 2022, he smashed a counter-attacking 146 in 111 balls, with 19 fours and four sixes, and his partnership with Ravindra Jadeja powered India to 416 from a troublesome situation of 98/5. India lost the match as England successfully chased down the 378 set by them.
Now, if Pant scores another century at Edgbaston, he will join Bradman, Australia's Warren Bardsley, Dravid, Lara, Australia's Charles George Macartney and New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell as the seventh visiting batter to score centuries in three successive Tests in England.
He will be only the second Indian after Dravid to repeat the feat after 23 years, slamming 115 at Nottingham, following it with 148 at Leeds and 217 at The Oval.
The latest visiting batter who pulled off this feat was Kiwi all-rounder Mitchell, who smashed 108 at Lord's, 190 at Nottingham and 109 at Leeds.
After surpassing MS Dhoni both for most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter and runs by an Asian wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) conditions and becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter with twin tons in a Test at Leeds, will Pant continue his historic run in the series so far?
The second Test will take place from July 2 onwards.
India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), 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 Men's Test squad for 2nd Test: Ben Stokes (capt), 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.
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