Rishabh Pant added another milestone to his already impressive Test career on Saturday, becoming only the third Indian wicketkeeper in history to play 50 Test matches for the national team.The landmark came during India’s only Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadvinder Singh International Cricket Stadium in Milanpur, New Chandigarh, where Pant will be playing his 50th Test as India’s designated wicket-keeper batsman.At the age of just 28, Pant joined an elite list of Indian wicketkeepers with MS Dhoni who played 90 Tests and Syed Kirmani who played 88 Tests. Since making his debut in 2018, the left-handed wicketkeeper has established himself as one of the most influential match-winners in modern Test cricket.
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Despite facing criticism for his recent white-ball performances, Pant’s credentials in the longest format are unquestionable. Going into his 50th Test, he had scored 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91, including eight centuries and several match-defining innings in challenging foreign conditions. Pant also crossed the milestone with 94 sixes in Test cricket.While this achievement highlights Pant’s enduring value in Test cricket, it has come during a difficult phase of his international career. Ahead of the Afghanistan Test, India’s team management and selection committee led by head coach Gautam Gambhir removed Pant from the Test vice-captaincy, with KL Rahul appointed as captain Shubman Gill’s deputy. The blow was followed by another blow when Pant was left out of the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Yashvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shibman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (W), Dhruv Jural, Washington Sundar, Manav Sothar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Prasad KrishnaAfghanistan (Playing XI): Siddiqullah Atul, Rehmanullah Garbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Afsar Zazai (W), Azmatullah Umarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangyaliya Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Muhammad Saleem Safi.
