India vs England 1st Test: Rishabh Pant Breaks Records With Twin Tons At Headingley Test 2025 | Cricket News
India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant etched his name in cricketing folklore with a historic performance in the first Test against England at Headingley, becoming the first Indian to score centuries in both innings of a Test in England. With knocks of 134 and 118, Pant showcased a masterclass in adaptability — blending flamboyance with maturity.
While the Indian lineup fired collectively — with five centuries in a single Test for the first time — it was Pant’s dual exploits that stood out as the defining story of the match. Not only did he anchor the innings, but also matched and surpassed benchmarks that legends before him couldn’t.
Record-Breaking Spree: Pant in Rarefied Company
Pant’s remarkable innings placed him in India’s elite twin centuries club, alongside Sunil Gavaskar (three times), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Vijay Hazare. But none had done it on English soil — until now.
He also became only the second designated wicketkeeper in Test history after Andy Flower (Zimbabwe) to score centuries in both innings of a match. With a combined match tally of 252 runs, Pant shattered Budhi Kunderan’s 60-year-old Indian record (230 vs England, 1964) for most runs by a wicketkeeper in a Test.
Globally, only Flower has posted a higher match aggregate (341*). Pant’s performance is now the fourth-highest by any wicketkeeper in the format’s history.
Controlled Aggression: Pant Blends Flair with Finesse
Pant’s 134 off 178 balls in the first innings was vintage Pant — audacious strokes, fearless intent, and total control. In contrast, his second innings 118 off 140 was a study in calculated restraint. He shifted gears based on the match situation, playing out a nervy passage from 96 to 99 before calmly reaching his milestone with a single off Shoaib Bashir.
From there, he briefly unleashed havoc on Joe Root, hammering him for back-to-back boundaries and a one-handed six — a testament to Pant’s natural game when in full flow.
His nine sixes in the second innings matched the record for most sixes in a Test innings in England, equalling Andrew Flintoff (2005) and Ben Stokes (2023).
India’s Overseas Evolution: KL Rahul, Jaiswal, Gill Join the Party
Pant’s effort was well-supported by KL Rahul, who struck a crucial second-innings century during a 195-run stand that put India beyond England’s reach. Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Pant had notched up hundreds in the first innings, marking the first instance of five Indian tons in a single Test.
This shows a significant shift in India’s overseas Test performance — not just grinding it out, but dominating with authority.
Pant Among Overseas Greats in England
With this Headingley epic, Pant now boasts 808 runs in England Tests, with four centuries and two fifties at an average of 42.52 and a strike rate nearing 70 — numbers that place him alongside Tendulkar and Vengsarkar (four hundreds each in England), trailing only Rahul Dravid (six).
He’s also joined a rare club of visiting batters with five consecutive 50-plus scores in England, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Don Bradman, Chanderpaul, Sangakkara, Hansie Cronje, and Daryl Mitchell. Only Steve Smith stands above with seven.
