On Day 3 of the first Test match against Bangladesh, after than 600 days after his terrible vehicle accident, Rishabh Pant was back to his best, hitting a century for his nation. When the majority of the top-order batsmen left the game early, leaving India in a precarious situation in the second innings, Pant’s century came at a critical moment for the squad. But Shubman Gill and Pant forged an important alliance—the latter scoring a ton of runs as well—to put the team in a comfortable position. As Pant reached the triple digits, he also tied MS Dhoni’s record for most tons scored by a wicket-keeper batsman for the nation in Test cricket.
At the age of 26, Pant surpassed Dhoni’s record, sparking a social media controversy comparing the two. Even the former wicketkeeper for India, Dinesh Karthik, couldn’t help but weigh in on the discussion and suggested that Pant be given more time before a decision is made.
“It is completely unjustifiable to claim that after just 34 Test matches, he is now India’s best wicketkeeper hitter. Karthik stated, “Let’s take our time and not jump to conclusions, but he’s definitely on course and he will finish as India’s greatest-ever wicketkeeper.” The statement was made during a Cricbuzz conversation.
Don’t undervalue Dhoni’s abilities as a wicketkeeper either. In addition to his outstanding fielding, batting, and run-scoring when it counted most for India, he guided his team to the World Test Championship, which is quickly rising to the top. Thus, you have to consider all of it when talking about a player overall,” he continued.
Dhoni is still regarded as one of the best players in Indian history. His record in white-ball cricket is still rather impressive. Still, it’s debatable if the Jharkhand-born player reached the pinnacle of the sport in Test cricket. Conversely, Pant has demonstrated greater promise while playing for India in the white jersey than when wearing the colored one.