If Rishabh Pant plays 100 Tests, his name would be etched in the history books forever: Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has said that if wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant manages to play 100 Tests, then his name will be etched in cricketing history. Since the 2020-21 Australia series, Pant has been the Indian’s first-choice stumper.

The Delhi cricketer has turned out to be one of India’s leading Test batters in the last 15 months. The youngster scored a match-saving 97 in the SCG Test against Australia in January 2021 and followed it up with a match-winning unbeaten 89 at the Gabba, which not only helped the Men in Blue seal the series but also register back-to-back Test series triumphs Down Under.

Virender Sehwag expects Rishabh Pant to play 100 Test matches for India

“If he (Pant) goes on to play 100+ Tests, his name would be etched in the history books forever. Only 11 Indian cricketers have achieved this feat, and everyone can recall those 11 names,” said Sehwag while speaking to Sports18.

“The instant gratification of matches won in T20Is and ODIs are fine but in the long run, people only remember what you have done in a white jersey,” he added.

Pant has so far played 30 Tests and amassed 1920 runs at an average of 40.85. More importantly, the Delhi stumper also holds the unique record of being the only Indian wicketkeeper to have registered Test centuries in Australia, England and South Africa.

A lot will be expected from him when India visits the United Kingdom for playing the rescheduled fifth and final Test match against England in July this year, with India leading the series 2-1.

Sehwag, on the other hand, is the first Indian to score a Test triple century. In fact, he has two triple hundreds to his name and could have well had a third one had it not been a soft dismissal in the Mumbai Test against Sri Lanka in December 2009 where he ended up giving a return catch to spinner Muttiah Muralitharan while playing a defensive shot on 293.