Rishabh Pant scripts history, breaks Dhoni’s away Test runs record

Colombo: India star batter Rishabh Pant shattered MS Dhoni’s record for most Test runs scored by an Indian wicketkeeper away from home. The swashbuckling batter Pant went past Dhoni’s feat during Day 2 of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club here on Monday.

Pant scored a stroke-filled 63 in the first innings of the Test to go past the former skipper. Coming into the Test, the 28-year-old Roorkee man had scored 2471 runs in Tests away from home and at neutral venues. He needed to score 26 runs to get past the 2011 World Cup-winning captain, and he did so in style when he hit off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha for back-to-back fours in the 97th over of the first innings in the opening session on Day 2.

Pant went on to complete his 21st Test half-century and a successive one after he had hit one in the second innings of the first Test in Galle. The Southpaw’s impressive stay came to an end on the first ball of the second session when he drilled one straight to deep mid-off off Nuwantha.

However, he has now scored 2534 runs as wicketkeeper away from home in Test cricket, with Dhoni now pushed back to second. Former cricketer Farokh Engineer had 1209 runs in away Tests as wicketkeeper, while Syed Kirmani made 1109 runs as wicketkeeper

In the process, Pant has also surpassed former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher in the same record list and has the third-most runs away from home by wicketkeepers overall. The list is led by former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who made 2696 runs away from home in 52 Tests. Australia legend Adam Gilchrist is second with 2634 runs in 41 Tests away from home or at neutral venues.

Pant’s knock also saw him close in on 3000 World Test Championship runs as he aims to become the first Indian to get there. Following his 63, the Southpaw now has 2948 runs in 42 Tests in WTC history as he stands 52 shy of the 3000-run margin.

Coming to the ongoing Test, India batted at a strong rate in the first session of the second day and amassed 119 runs and lost only Saransh Jain’s wicket. Pant and Dhruv Jurel were the stars with the bat as they both crossed half centuries with India piling the pressure on the hosts.

IANS