New Delhi: Rishabh Pant was moments away from scripting history for India on Day 4 of the ongoing 1st Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 19. However, it was not meant to be as Pant was dismissed on 99 to miss out on the legendary MS Dhoni’s record for most centuries by a wicket-keeper batter for India in Tests. Pant missed out on his 7th Test hundred by just 1 run.
The left-hander was going all guns blazing in India’s second innings and looked set for a magnificent hundred in Bengaluru. However, he was denied a well-deserved ton by Kiwi pacer William ORourke, who managed to bowl Pant on 99. The extra bounce on the surface did the trick for ORourke as the ball took an edge of Pant’s bat before crashing onto the stumps to send him back on 99.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the Indian wicket-keeper batter, who was dismissed on 99 for the first time in his Test career. Overall, it was Pant’s 7th dismissal in the 90s for India in Tests. Nonetheless, it was a fabulous knock from the swashbuckling left-hander, who hit 9 fours and 5 sixes en route to his 99 off just 105 balls.
One of India’s best batters in Test cricket at present, Pant has been enjoying a purple patch ever since his return to the longest format following a long spell on the sidelines due to injuries suffered in a dangerous car crash in December 2022. The southpaw had equalled Dhoni’s record for most Test hundreds by a wicket-keeper batter for India with a 109-run knock in the 1st Test against Bangladesh in Chennai last month.
