Few Indian cricketers have lived through extreme ends of public and pundit scrutiny as Rishabh Pant.
But at Headingley on Saturday, the same man who once saw no place for Pant in the Indian dressing room, saw only class — and applauded.
When Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away in Australia, Sunil Gavaskar called him "stupid." In Leeds, after his century, he called him "superb."
Pant, who resumed on 65 not out on Day 2 of the first Test against England, completed his seventh Test century with a knock that combined restraint, grit and typical audacity.
It was also his fifth Test ton away from home.
Pant also surpassed MS Dhoni in the list of most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper batter.
The former India captain scored six Test hundreds in his career from 90 matches, while Pant brought up his seventh Test ton in 44 games.
He also climbed to the fourth spot in the list for most Test centuries by wicket-keepers in international cricket, joining Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, Matt Prior and BJ Watling on the spot.
Pant scored a masterful 134 off 177 balls before being trapped LBW by Josh Tongue.
India, already on top thanks to Day 1 hundreds from Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill, tightened their grip as Pant brought up his century with a flurry of boundaries, including a classic pick-up shot over square leg and a cracking four off Shoaib Bashir.
But this moment was more than another three-digit score for Pant. It was the culmination of a redemption arc that had begun years ago in Australia. In 2024, Pant played a rash shot and was dismissed for 28 in a tense Test match.
Sunil Gavaskar, from the commentary box, fumed: “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that dressing room!”
The line became infamous. Internet users made memes. Pant even mimicked it in jest on social media.
On Friday and Saturday in Leeds, Pant turned Gavaskar's three-word condemnation into a three-word celebration.
Gavaskar declared Pant’s innings “superb, superb, superb,” acknowledging the growth of a player who has often danced on the fine line between recklessness and genius.
Pant's innings, which started with a boundary off Ben Stokes on his second ball, evolved into a patient accumulation.
At one point, he scored 16 off 44 balls against Bashir. It was a calculated innings that showed he could anchor.
This century also added Pant’s name to an elite list: his previous Test tons had come in London, Sydney, Cape Town, Birmingham, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. Now Leeds joins the club. With the exception of Chennai and Ahmedabad, all were overseas.
Jaiswal, Gill and Pant recreate magic last seen in 2002
India’s last Test win at Leeds was in 2002, when Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries in the same innings. It was the only time the golden trio achieved the feat together.
Now in 2025, the baton seems to have passed. Jaiswal, Gill and Pant have already made it a historic affair.
In a match already thick with promise for India, Pant’s hundred has become the headline act — not just for the runs, but for the narrative it has re-written.
In front of an English crowd, Rishabh Pant finally got the applause he deserved. And for once, Sunil Gavaskar was leading it.