Rishabh Pant Becomes Fastest Indian Wicketkeeper to Reach 2,500 Test Runs

Rishabh Pant became the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to score 2500 runs in Test cricket on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Pant has achieved the feat in just 62 innings. This record was earlier in the hands of former captain MS Dhoni who had achieved this milestone at the age of 39 in 69 innings. Former Indian great Farokh Engineer previously held the record to reach this milestone in 82 innings.

Pant's magnificent effort came on a day when India looked to mount a spirited fightback, reaching 344/3 at lunch as rain ensured an early lunch. India are now just 12 runs behind New Zealand's first-innings score of 469. Pant made some crucial contributions in raising India with his aggressive innings of 53 off 56 balls and it has come together with the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, who scored his maiden Test century.

Pant and Sarfaraz were given the task of steering India closer to the target on the fourth day as India resumed at 231/3. Pant, though nursing a knee injury while keeping on the third day, showed no signs of anything amiss when he started batting in his signature aggressive style. After a cautious start, he launched a counter-attack, smashing two sixes off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel in quick succession and following that up with a series of elegant drives and sweeps.

Pant made a 12th Test fifty in 55 balls, featuring a breathtaking cover drive off Glenn Phillips to showcase his controlled aggression. This majestic partnership between Sarfaraz and Pant steadied the boats of India during the wobble at the beginning to back it into the contest for a possible lead, adding 113 runs in 22 overs.

Sarfaraz's sumptuous century on Test debut in just his fifth Test ensured all eyes were on his match-winning innings, but the contribution was equally crucial from Pant who steadied the innings. The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has become the corner stone of India's Test team since making his debut back in 2018, scoring many match-winning knocks abroad also, especially memorable efforts in Australia and England.