Rishabh Pant beats MS Dhoni to create new record for an Indian wicket-keeper in ICC Test Rankings
Rishabh Pant has created a new record for the highest rating points achieved by an Indian wicket-keeper batsman in the latest ICC Test Rankings.
Courtesy of his match-winning 89* against Australia in the fourth Test at The Gabba, Pant has attained the 13th spot in the rankings, with 691 rating points.
The 23-year-old overtook MS Dhoni, who had attained 662 rating points during his time as a Test cricketer. Farookh Engineer is next on the list with 619 points.
Rishabh Pant had not got a place in the Indian playing XI for the first Test of the series against Australia. However, Wriddhiman Saha's disappointing performance with the willow prompted the team management to replace him with Pant.
Eventually, Pant ended the IND v AUS series as the highest run-getter for the visitors.
Rishabh Pant aggregated 274 runs in five innings. He proved himself as a 'fourth-innings specialist', with a match-saving knock in Sydney and a match-winning innings in Brisbane.
Although Pant could not touch the three-figure mark even once in this series, the southpaw made a massive impact with his two half-centuries.
Will the Indian cricket team include Rishabh Pant in the playing XI for home Test matches?
Rishabh Pant has represented the Indian cricket team in 16 Test matches. However, only two of those games have taken place in India.
Although Pant has proven himself as the better batsman, the Indian team management has preferred Saha over him in home Tests due to his superior keeping skills in conditions that will assist spinners.
Hence, it will be interesting to see if skipper Virat Kohli includes Rishabh Pant in the playing XI for the upcoming Tests against England.