Rishabh Pant became only the second Indian wicketkeeper-batter, after the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to accumulate 3,000 Test runs.
The aggressive southpaw brought up his fifty, hist 16th in Tests, and crossed the 3,000-run landmark with a signature slog-sweep off pacer Chris Woakes during Day 1 of the first Test against England in Leeds on Friday.
It took him just 76 innings to reach the milestone. Among wicketkeepers, only Adam Gilchrist has got to the landmark in fewer innings (63).
Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in in August 2020, has the most runs among Asian wicketkeepers in Tests, having tallied 4,876 runs from 90 Tests at an average of 38.09.
Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim (3,515 runs), Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (3,117 runs) and Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed (3,031 runs) are ahead of Pant. Among the top five, only Rahim and Pant are active now.
Pant also became Asia's most successful wicketkeeper-batter in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, surpassing Dhoni.
He now has 1,746 runs against SENA nations in 27 matches at an average of 38.80, containing four centuries and six fifties.
Playing his 44th Test, Pant has so far recorded five 50-plus Test scores in England, including two centuries.
Shubman Gill (127 not out) and Pant (65) will resume batting on Day 2 as India will be looking to put up a formidable total in the first innings.
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