NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Rishabh Pant as the country’s “greatest wicketkeeper-batter ever” following his stunning century against England, calling him a “breath of fresh air.” Pant continued his brilliant form in Test cricket by registering his seventh Test century, breaking multiple records during his innings in the first Test against England at Leeds.Speaking on Match Centre Live after the first session, JioStar expert Manjrekar said, “By far, India’s greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he’s a breath of fresh air.”
“When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That’s what we love about England — these guys come to watch good cricket. They want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it,” he added.On Saturday, Pant surpassed MS Dhoni to become the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test centuries. His knock of 134 off 178 balls, laced with 12 fours and six sixes at a strike rate above 75, came in testing overseas conditions — a territory where Pant continues to shine.This was his fifth Test century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries — the most by any Asian batter. Three of these have come in England, with the remaining two in Australia and South Africa.Pant also equalled Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (seven centuries) for the most Test hundreds by a designated wicketkeeper from Asia.Earlier on Friday, Pant crossed the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket, becoming only the second Indian wicketkeeper after Dhoni to do so. He also overtook Dhoni in terms of runs scored by an Asian keeper-batter in SENA countries.In 44 Tests, Pant has scored 3,082 runs at an average of 43.40, with seven centuries and 15 fifties in 76 innings — all at a strike rate of 73.69.In the match, after England chose to bowl first, centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), captain Shubman Gill (147), and Pant (134) helped India post a total of 471. Ben Stokes (4/66) and Josh Tongue (4/86) were the standout bowlers for the hosts.