Sunil Gavaskar urges Rishabh Pant to do somersault celebration, 'next time' gestures twin centurion – WATCH
New Delhi: Rishabh Pant scripted history as he became the first Indian wicket-keeper batter to smash a century in each innings of a Test match in England. Pant achieved the remarkable feat with his brilliant 118-run knock in India’s second innings of the ongoing 1st Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on Monday, June 23.
Pant, who smashed 134 in the first innings of the Test match, continued his impressive run with the willow in Leeds on Monday to notch up a second straight century against the hosts. His 118-run knock was laced with 15 fours and three sixes as Pant continued to prove why he is one of the best Test batters in the world at present.
While it was a typical ton from the swashbuckling left-hander, studded with some audacious strokes, Pant refused to do his viral ‘somersault’ celebration this time around. Despite the legendary Sunil Gavaskar urging him to showcase his brilliant gymnastics skills by pulling off the signature somersault, Pant gestured that he would do it the next time.
Gavaskar, who was watching Pant’s knock from the commentary box, came out all smiles as the Indian wicket-keeper batter raised his bat to acknowledge the appreciation from the crowd and his teammates after his 130-ball hundred on Day 4. The India legend, animatedly, urged Pant to somersault, but the wicket-keeper batter politely refused. He instead did the popular ‘finger-eye’ celebration.
Rishabh Pant shatters record with twin tons against England𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭-𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡! 🙌🏻
Take a bow, @RishabhPant17, brilliant would be an understatement! 🫡🔥#ENGvIND 1st Test Day 4 LIVE NOW Streaming on JioHotstar 👉… pic.twitter.com/4A1Poe5jbC
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia)
Pant shattered multiple records with his twin centuries in the Leeds Test against England. While he became the first Indian to score a century in each innings of a Test match in England, he also became the first Asian to achieve the feat. Pant also became only the second wicket-keeper batter in Test history to notch up two centuries in a Test match after former Zimbabwe batter Andy Flower.
Pant now has four centuries to his name in Tests on English soil and is just three tons away from surpassing Rahul Dravid to claim the record for most Test centuries by an Indian in England. With an aggregate total of 252 runs (134, 118) in the two innings combined, Pant also set the record for the highest aggregate score by a wicket-keeper batter in a Test match in England.