Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded Rishabh Pant as the country's best wicketkeeper-batter ever after his remarkable century against England, describing him as a 'breath of fresh air.' Pant, who scored his seventh Test century during the first Test against England at Leeds, broke several records with his outstanding performance.

During Match Centre Live, JioStar expert Manjrekar expressed, 'By far, India's greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he's a breath of fresh air.'

Pant's knock of 134 off 178 balls included 12 fours and six sixes at a strike rate above 75, showcasing his brilliance in challenging overseas conditions. This was his fifth Test century in SENA countries, with three in England and two in Australia and South Africa.

In addition, Pant equaled Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara for the most Test hundreds by a designated wicketkeeper from Asia. He also crossed the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket, becoming the second Indian wicketkeeper after MS Dhoni to achieve this milestone.

With 3,082 runs in 44 Tests at an average of 43.40, Pant has seven centuries and 15 fifties in 76 innings, all at a strike rate of 73.69. In the first Test against England, centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, captain Shubman Gill, and Pant helped India post a total of 471 runs. Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue were the standout bowlers for the hosts.