Rishabh Pant’s Explosive 7th Test Century in Leeds: A Masterclass in Fearless Batting! - Best11.in

Rishabh Pant scored his seventh Test century on the first ball of the 100th over bowled by Shoaib Bashir, hitting a single-handed shot over the boundary. Proving once again that he is most dangerous on foreign pitches, Pant celebrated his century by removing his helmet and somersaulting on the ground, earning applause even from his critics. His stunning innings, which left Sunil Gavaskar—who had previously mocked him—calling it remarkable, came off 146 balls, including four sixes and ten fours.

Pant’s innings have a magical quality, captivating opponents and spectators alike. Though playing a Test match, his batting often shifts to a one-day or T20 mode, fearlessly blending singles with boundaries. Even when falling in the crease, he manages to send the ball to the boundary, as seen in the shot that sealed his century in Leeds. He dispatched English spinner Bashir with a one-handed shot over the fence to mark the milestone.

Weeks earlier, Pant had faced ridicule during the IPL season, but his fearless batting in England silenced doubters. Following Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill, Pant’s century turned critics into supporters with a single magical innings. India’s young brigade, including Jaiswal’s composed century and Gill’s aggressive yet defensive knock, disrupted England captain Ben Stokes’ plans. Jaiswal’s innings featured 16 fours and one six, while Gill’s boundaries pushed England into a corner.

This match at Leeds marked a historic milestone: the first time since 2006 that three Indian batsmen—Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant—scored centuries in a single innings outside Asia. Pant also became the fastest Asian wicketkeeper-batsman to reach 3,000 Test runs, achieving it in his 76th innings, surpassing MS Dhoni’s record. Additionally, Pant overtook Dhoni’s record for the most Test centuries by a wicketkeeper, with his seventh century.

As India’s vice-captain, Pant has grown into a more responsible player, and his bat promises even bigger innings in the future.