In his debut Test, Pant enters record books with this unique feat

There is something about Rishabh Pant, India’s latest Test debutant. He somehow finds a way to stay in the headlines. Firstly, he smashed Adil Rashid to a six over long-on to become the first Indian player to start his Test career with a six and now wearing the wicket-keeping gloves he has added another feather to his cap.

The 20-year-old player became the only third wicket-keeper in the history of cricket to catch the first three wickets on Test debut. Pant achieved this rare and exceptional feat on the second day of the third Test.

In the 11^th over of England’s innings, Ishant Sharma found the outside edge of Aliaster Cook which settled into Pant’s gloves behind the wicket giving the youngster his first catch in Test cricket.

In the next over, Keaton Jennings edged one behind the wicket against Jasprit Bumrah and this time too Pant caught it with ease.

Then in the 20^th over Ishant bowled one on the pads of Oliver Pope who missed his stroke and the ball kissed the edge of his bat. Behind the stumps, Pant was agile enough to move to his left and grab the catch in his gloves. With this wicket, Pant became the only third wicket-keeper to catch the first three wickets on his Test debut.

Interestingly, the first wicket-keeper to achieve this feat was an Indian, B Reddy. He took three catches on his Test debut against England in 1979 at Birmingham. The second wicket-keeper was Tim Paine who did this against Pakistan in 2010 at Lord’s. Co-incidentally all three wicket-keepers bagged this record on the English soil.

Pant’s heroics with the gloves aren’t limited to this record as he went to on claim five catches in the innings and achieved another record in his debut Test innings.