Leeds, June 23 (UNI) Rishabh Pant etched his name in cricketing folklore at Headingley on Monday, becoming the first Indian batsman to score centuries in both innings of a Test in England, and only the second designated wicketkeeper in Test history to do so, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower.

Pant lit up the Test with a masterful 134 in the first innings and backed it up with a sparkling 118 off 140 balls in the second, laced with 15 fours and 3 sixes. His second hundred was a test of patience and poise — he spent 26 tense deliveries in the nineties before calmly cutting Shoaib Bashir for a single to bring up the milestone. The celebration was trademark Pant — helmet off, a hand cupped to his ear, and a warm embrace with KL Rahul, even as Sunil Gavaskar, watching from the stands, jokingly called for a somersault.

Only seven Indian batsmen have ever scored centuries in both innings of a Test. Pant now joins that elite list which includes names like Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (3 times), Rahul Dravid (2), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma. Panth has become the newest entrant with a historic twist — his feat came in English conditions and as a wicketkeeper.

Pant's performance also marked just the second time that two Indian openers — KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma — have scored centuries in the same Test match in England. The only previous instance was in 1936, when Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali did so at Manchester.

However, Pant's dazzling knock came to an end just before tea when he was dismissed by Bashir for 118, caught by Zak Crawley at long-on while attempting a slog sweep. Nevertheless, the damage was done — his innings had kept India's momentum alive and cemented his stature as one of the finest modern-day Test batsmen.

Earlier, Andy Flower had scored 142 and an unbeaten 199 against South Africa in Harare, 2001 — a feat now matched by Pant 24 years later.

Pant’s landmark innings drew applause from fans, teammates and legends alike. UNI BDN SSP