India’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo witnessed another memorable moment involving Rishabh Pant. The wicketkeeper-batter had been forced to retire hurt on the opening day after being struck on his left arm, but returned to the crease on Day 2 alongside Dhruv Jurel as India looked to build a strong first-innings total.
Pant showed good composure despite Sri Lanka’s pacers repeatedly testing him with short deliveries. He went on to score a stroke-filled 63 and, in the process, moved past former India captain MS Dhoni in an important Test record involving Indian wicketkeepers.
Rishabh Pant breaks MS Dhoni’s record
Pant came into the second Test with 2,471 runs in Tests away from home and at neutral venues as a designated wicketkeeper. He needed 26 runs to move past Dhoni’s tally of 2,496 runs. The left-hander completed the milestone during the 97th over when he struck Keshara Nuwantha for back-to-back boundaries. Pant continued his aggressive approach and brought up his 21st Test half-century before his impressive stay ended after lunch.
Pant was eventually dismissed for 63 when he drilled a delivery from Nuwantha straight to deep mid-off. His innings took his tally to 2,534 runs as a wicketkeeper in away or neutral Tests, moving him ahead of Dhoni. Farokh Engineer occupies third place on the list with 1,209 runs, followed by Syed Kirmani with 1,109 and Kiran More with 901 runs.
Pant makes strong comeback after retiring hurt
Pant’s record-breaking knock was particularly impressive given what happened on the opening day of the Test. The India batter was struck on his left arm by a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara while attempting to play a pull shot. After receiving attention from the team physiotherapist, Pant continued for a brief period before retiring hurt. He had scored just three runs from 15 balls when he walked off the field in the 58th over.
He returned to the crease on Day 2 after Asitha Fernando dismissed debutant Saransh Jain for six. Pant joined Jurel in the middle and helped India recover from the loss of their sixth wicket. Sri Lanka’s bowlers continued to use short-pitched deliveries against him, with Pant taking a couple of blows to his shoulder. However, he remained positive and eventually reached his half-century from 80 balls. Pant and Jurel added 112 runs for the partnership before Nuwantha finally ended their stand. Jurel also completed his third Test half-century, giving India important momentum in the first innings.
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Pant closes in on another major milestone
Pant’s 63 also took him closer to another significant landmark in Test cricket. He now has 2,948 runs in 42 World Test Championship matches and needs only 52 more to become the first Indian batter to reach 3,000 runs in the competition. The 28-year-old has also moved into third place among wicketkeepers for most Test runs away from home or at neutral venues overall.
Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed leads the list with 2,696 runs, while Australia great Adam Gilchrist is second with 2,634. Pant’s latest achievement adds another milestone to his Test career and further strengthens his position among India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batters.
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