Rishabh Pant becomes third Indian to take 150 Test catches as wicketkeeper
Leeds [UK], June 22 (ANI): Indian star Rishabh Pant completed 150 catches as a designated wicketkeeper, making him the third from his team to do so.
Pant reached this milestone during the third day of the first Test against England at Leeds on Sunday.
After Prasidh Krishna struck early, removing Ollie Pope after an edge off his bat landed into Pant's hands, the 27-year-old reached a milestone only touched previously by Syed Kirmani (160 catches) and MS Dhoni (256) among Indians.
Now, Pant has a total of 151 catches and 15 stumpings (166 dismissals), making him the third most successful keeper for India in history. Dhoni is the most successful one, with 256 catches and 38 stumpings, totalling to 294 dismissals.
At the end of the first session, England was 327/5, with Brook (57*) and Smith (29*) unbeaten. They trail by 144 runs.
England started the first session of the day on 209/3, with Ollie Pope (100*) and Harry Brook (0*) unbeaten.
Pope and Brook started off on an attacking note, with the latter getting a four and six against Prasidh Krishna in the first over and Pope smacking a length delivery from Jasprit Bumrah on the next over's very first ball.
However, a delivery wide outside off by Krishna was slashed at hard by Pope, getting an edge and going straight into the hands of Rishabh Pant, who completed his 150th catch as a wicketkeeper. Pope was gone for 106 in 137 balls, with 14 fours. England was 225/4 .
Brook continued stamping his authority on pacers, while skipper Ben Stokes settled from the other end. England reached the 250-run mark in 59 overs. It was simply raining boundaries, and the duo formed a 50-run stand in 78 balls.
However, Mohammed Siraj struck, removing Stokes for 20 in 52 balls (three fours), finding a thick edge of the bat. England was 276/5.
Early in his innings, after two solid boundaries, Jamie Smith survived a leg-before-wicket review, with Shardul Thakur missing out on a golden chance to open his wicket tally as the ball missed the leg stump. England touched the 300-run mark in 71 overs.
Pant dropped a catch of Brook and he capitalised on it, reaching his 12th Test fifty in 65 balls, with seven fours and a six. Jamie and Brook also completed a 50-run stand. (ANI)
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