Rishabh Pant marked another major chapter in his Test journey on Saturday, becoming just the third Indian wicketkeeper to reach the 50-match milestone in the longest format. The landmark appearance arrives during India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, near New Chandigarh, where Pant is set to take his place in his 50th Test as the team’s designated wicketkeeper-batter.
At 28 years old, Pant joins an exclusive group of Indian wicketkeepers who have played high volumes of Tests for the country. The list includes MS Dhoni, who went on to feature in 90 Tests, and Syed Kirmani, who represented India in 88. Pant’s rise has been rapid since his international debut in 2018, and in that time he has developed a reputation as one of the most influential match-makers in modern Test cricket.
A Test-match specialist
Even with recent criticism surrounding his white-ball outings, his standing in Test cricket remains firmly established. Heading into this milestone game, Pant had compiled 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91, with eight centuries to his name. His record also reflects the kind of innings that repeatedly swing contests, particularly in difficult conditions—especially when India have had to bat on challenging surfaces during overseas tours. Pant also brought momentum into the match with 94 sixes in Test cricket before stepping out for his 50th appearance.
While the achievement underlines Pant’s lasting value for India in Tests, it is also occurring during a tougher stretch in his international standing. Ahead of the Afghanistan Test, the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir along with the selection committee, removed Pant from the Test vice-captaincy role. In his place, KL Rahul was named deputy to captain Shubman Gill. The change was followed by another setback when Pant was left out of India’s squad for the subsequent three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
Playing XIs
India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan (Playing XI): Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi
