After Headingley heroics, Pant on the brink of joining cricket's elite in England

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is on the cusp of entering an elite club of visiting batters as India gear up for the second Test of the series against England at Edgbaston starting July 2. Following his twin centuries at Headingley, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is now one ton away from joining a legendary list that includes Don Bradman, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pant smashed 134 and 118 in the first Test at Leeds, showcasing a dazzling array of strokes in both innings. Despite India’s five-wicket defeat after setting England a target of 371, Pant's audacious shot-making and resilience stood out as the highlight of the match.

He now has 808 runs in 10 Tests in England at an average of 42.52, including four centuries. His highest score on English soil - 146 off just 111 balls - came at Edgbaston in 2022, when he rescued India from 98 for 5 and helped post a first-innings total of 416.

Though India eventually lost that match, Pant's innings remains one of the finest by an Indian wicketkeeper overseas.If he scores a hundred again at Edgbaston, Pant will become only the seventh visiting batter to score centuries in three successive Tests in England. The exclusive list features Don Bradman, Warren Bardsley, Charles Macartney, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid and Daryl Mitchell. Dravid remains the only Indian on that list, having achieved the feat in 2002.Pant, who already holds the record for most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper and the most runs by an Asian gloveman in SENA countries, now has a golden opportunity to further etch his name in the history books.