"Making rapid strides, just like Bumrah" - Sanjay Manjrekar's huge statement on Team India star after Day 4 of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that Rishabh Pant is making rapid strides in Test cricket just like his teammate and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The former batter hailed Pant's mental skills while discussing his hundred on Day 4 of the Leeds Test against England.

Pant and KL Rahul struck centuries as India batted themselves into a position of dominance on Day 4 of the Headingley Test against England on Monday, June 23. Resuming their second innings on 90-2, they posted 364 as Rahul top-scored with 137, while Pant scored 118. The latter had hit 134 in the first innings as well.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar was asked if Pant is among the greatest keeper-batters of all time in Test cricket. Hinting that it's too early to draw a conclusion on the same, Manjrekar admitted that the southpaw is climbing the charts rather swiftly in Test cricket. He stated:

"There's obvious comparison with Adam Gilchrist that comes to mind. When you talk about Test cricket, there are so many batters over the years that you've got to be mindful of. He's making rapid strides, just like Bumrah in the history of Test cricket, when you are looking at new players."

The 59-year-old went on to praise the Indian stumper for showing great resolve with the willow after going through a phase where he looked out of sorts. Sharing his views on Pant's temperament, Manjrekar elaborated:

"We discovered the mental side of his batting. We thankfully have the stump mic and we can hear all kinds of chatter. This morning when he got obsessed with playing with the wind and falling down in the process, he got himself into a bit of a rut. Then we heard him talking to himself, saying - 'What are you doing? Just keep it simple'. After that we saw the other side of Pant when he was only blocking.

"It was an almost two-hour change that he brought in his batting. Just imagine the kind of control he has over his batting mechanism," Manjrekar concluded.

Pant struck 15 fours and three sixes in his 140-ball knock as India set England a target of 371. In reply, the hosts went to stumps at 21-0 after six overs.

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Rishabh Pant breaks major records with ton on Day 4 of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Pant broke a number of impressive records with his three-figure knock in Leeds on Monday. The left-hander became only the second keeper-batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. Zimbabwe's Andy Flower is the only other cricketer to achieve this feat. He hit 141 & 199* against South Africa at Harare in 2001.

The 27-year-old also became the first Indian batter to score hundreds in both innings of a Test in England. Among visiting batters, he is the ninth player to achieve the feat. With four tons in England, he is now joint-second on the list of Indian batters with most Test centuries in the country.