Rishabh Pant completes 3,000 Test runs; surpasses Dhoni to become Asia’s most successful wicketkeeper-batter in SENA

LEEDS: Rishabh Pant completed 3,000 runs in Test cricket on Thursday, surpassing former Indian skipper MS Dhoni as India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant achieved this feat in his outing against England on Friday at Leeds Headingley, Day 1 of the first Test of the five-match series. This is also the start of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both nations.

Pant remained not out on 65 at the end of Day 1. He became Asia’s most successful wicketkeeper-batter in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, surpassing the legendary Dhoni. Pant now has 1746 runs in SENA in 27 matches at an average of 38.80; he also has four centuries and six fifties to his name.

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Earlier on Day 1, a composed century from debutant captain Shubman Gill, a fluent ton by Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a measured innings from vice-captain Rishabh Pant powered India to a dominant 359/3 at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley on Friday.

After Jaiswal set the tone with a sparkling 101 off 159 balls, featuring sixteen boundaries and a six, Gill took over with a captain’s knock, showing maturity and poise throughout his unbeaten 127-run effort. The stylish right-hander struck sixteen fours and a maximum in his 175-ball stay, steering India to their highest-ever first-day total in a Test match on English soil.

Pant supported his skipper brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 65 from 102 deliveries. His innings was laced with six fours and two towering sixes, and he looked in full control alongside Gill in their unbroken 138-run partnership.

Jaiswal and KL Rahul’s impactful innings powered India to finish the first session of Day 1 of the first Test, on 92/2 at Headingley, Leeds. England broke the Indian opening partnership on the stroke of Lunch as KL Rahul narrowly missed out on his half-century. (ANI)