Wicket-keeping in Test cricket is a thankless job, and often the man behind the gloves gets ignored for the services provided. But someone like a Rishabh Pant has brought a lot of flamboyance to it. After scoring his ton in the first innings of the Leeds Test, the 27-year-old keeper just became the third from India to pouch 150 catches in the longest format — and joined MS Dhoni (256) and Syed Kirmani (160) at the top.
Rishabh Pant Joins MS Dhoni & Syed Kirmani
| Keeper | Matches | Catches | Overall | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 90 | 256 | 294 | 1.771 |
| Syed Kirmani | 88 | 160 | 198 | 1.311 |
| Rishabh Pant | 44 | 150 | 165 | 1.918 |
| Kiran More | 49 | 110 | 130 | 1.444 |
| Nayan Mongia | 44 | 99 | 107 | 1.389 |
It was on the third morning of the India vs England Test, that he grabbed Ollie Pope for 106, on the bowling of Prasidh Krishna. And Rishabh Pant achieved the feat in his 44th Test and 86th innings. A regular in the format, Pant has overall has 165 dismissals to his name, that also include 15 stumpings.
Best Dismissal Rate Among Indians
What is staggering is, his dismissal/inning ratio is the best among Indian keepers. He effects 1.918 dismissals in each innings, while Dhoni stood at 1.771, and Kirmani at 1.311. Kiran More effected 130 dismissals in 90 innings, at a rate of 1.444. Next on the list is Nayan Mongia, with 107 dismissals overall, at 1.389.
He is also the joint-record holder of most dismissals effected in a single innings, six, along with Dhoni and Wriddhiman Saha. All this has come after Pant made his Test debut in 2018, against England in England.
