Rishabh Pant is just unbelievable, he’s India’s greatest ever Test batter-keeper: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has hailed the Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant as the country’s greatest-ever keeper-batter after his record-breaking Test century against England at Headingley, Leeds.

Notably, it was Pant’s seventh Test century and his third ton in English conditions. While Dhoni has 2496 Test runs away from home in 48 games at an average of 32.84 with 18 fifties and a ton in Pakistan, Rishabh Pant has smacked 1976 runs in 30 Tests at an average of 39.52 with six fifties and five tons.

"By far, India's greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he's a breath of fresh air,” Manjrekar said in the ‘Match Center Live’.

"When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That's what we love about England -- these guys come to watch good cricket. They want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it," he added.

“Again, I am a believer in where you got your hundreds, and I'm a big sort of, I always look at hundreds. OK, where have we got it? He's got hundreds in England. He's got 100 in South Africa. He's got a couple of hundreds in Australia,” Manjrekar said.

“So when you look at MS' hundreds, with all due respect to his fans, his centuries would not be so much in these countries where batting is a bit more challenging, as batting on an Indian pitch. In Test cricket, he's already well ahead of MS,” he stated.

Moreover, this was Rishabh Pant’s fifth century in SENA conditions - The most by an Asian batter. While three centuries came in England, one each came in Australia and South Africa. With seven Test tons, Pant has equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record for most Test tons by a keeper-batter among Asians.

Also, he has equalled Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara (seven centuries) for most centuries in Tests as a designated keeper among all Asian countries.

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