Rishabh Pant continued his red-hot form in the first Test against England at Leeds, scoring his second century of the match in spectacular fashion. The Indian vice-captain struck 118 runs off 140 balls in the second innings, smashing 15 boundaries and 3 sixes. But while his batting once again lit up the game, it was his unique celebration that caught everyone’s attention.
After reaching the milestone, Pant surprised fans and commentators by doing the famous Dele Alli eye celebration, a gesture made popular by the English footballer, involving a hand twisted over the eye in a playful challenge. The move came as a fun twist to his previous celebration in the first innings, where Pant performed a full somersault after scoring 134 off 178 balls, which included 12 boundaries and 6 sixes.
Known for his fearless and flamboyant personality, Pant’s celebration was a nod to his playful character and love for mixing things up. It also showed how much he enjoys the game, not just through his explosive strokeplay but also through his expressive on-field moments.
The back-to-back centuries highlight Pant’s maturity as a Test batter while retaining his trademark aggression and unpredictability. His efforts have been crucial in keeping India in a strong position against a competitive England side.
With two centuries and two distinct celebrations, Rishabh Pant has once again proven that he’s not just a match-winner but also a true entertainer on the world stage.
Rishabh Pant completes 150 dismissals in Test cricket
Meanwhile, Team India's vice-captain completed a massive milestone as far as his keeping statistics go, completing 150 dismissals in the format on day 3. The landmark came after Prasidh Krishna got Ollie Pope to nick off for 106. The southpaw took one more catch on day 3 when Stokes edged one off Mohammed Siraj's bowling in the 65th over of the innings.
Despite those two scalps, Harry Brook continued to score freely as the home side went to lunch at 327/5 after beginning at 209/3. The home side were eventually bowled out for 465, whittling down India's lead by 6 runs. India finished day 3 at 90/2, holding a 96-run lead.
