Gavaskar Makes Special Request To Rishabh Pant During Live Match - WATCH
After reaching his second hundred, fans expected Pant’s trademark somersault celebration.
Rishabh Pant etched his name into the record books with centuries in both innings of the first Test against England — 134 in the first and 118 in the second. He became the first Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to achieve this feat on English soil and only the second wicketkeeper in the world to do so, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower.
A Subtle Celebration, Not a Somersault
After reaching his second hundred, fans expected Pant’s trademark somersault celebration. Instead, he opted for a new gesture — placing a hand over one ear.
Watching from the balcony, Sunil Gavaskar playfully urged him to do the somersault. With a smile, Pant responded from the field, indicating he’d save it for next time.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭-𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡! 🙌🏻
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 23, 2025
Take a bow, @RishabhPant17, brilliant would be an understatement! 🫡🔥#ENGvIND 1st Test Day 4 LIVE NOW Streaming on JioHotstar 👉… pic.twitter.com/4A1Poe5jbC
Gavaskar’s Change of Tone
Interestingly, during the 2021 Australia tour, Gavaskar had criticized Pant’s approach, calling him "stupid." But now, with consistent performances, Gavaskar has hailed him as "super," reflecting Pant’s impressive transformation.
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Pant now joins an exclusive list of Indian batters who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test match:
Vijay Hazare
Sunil Gavaskar (3 times)
Rahul Dravid (2 times)
Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane
Rohit Sharma
Rishabh Pant
His achievement, especially as a wicketkeeper-batter abroad, marks a significant milestone in his growing legacy.
Rahul-Pant Centuries Power India Past 300-Run Lead
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant produced brilliant centuries on Day 4 of the first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Headingley, helping India take firm control with their lead stretching beyond 300 runs.
The duo stitched together a superb 195-run partnership, frustrating the England bowlers and turning the tide firmly in India’s favor.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Rahul and Pant have scored centuries together in the same innings — they had previously achieved this feat at The Oval in 2018.
India’s dominant batting display now puts them in a strong position to push for victory heading into the final day.
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