New Delhi [India], June 23 : Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka lavished praise on the franchise's current and former captains Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul for their blistering centuries against England in the second innings on day four of the first Test at Headingley.
India's vice-captain Pant and opening star Rahul raised a 195-run stand to put India in the driver's seat as the game heads towards a promising final day of the series opener. Pant switched from a belligerent to a defensive approach while Rahul maintained his tempo with his robust technique.
Rahul drove the ball wide of the sweeper cover and scurried for two to bring up his record-century in 202 deliveries. He kissed the crest on his helmet, raised the bat and then went on to have a quick chat with Pant. Seven overs later, Pant pushed the ball for a single and completed his twin centuries.
Pant, the current captain of LSG in the cash-rich Indian Premier League, and Rahu, the southpaw's predecessor, earned plaudits from Goenka.
"Two good! Back-to-back centuries for @RishabhPant17. Aggressive, audacious, brilliant. Only the second wicketkeeper in history to score a century in both innings of a Test. Congratulations also to @klrahul for his hundred," Goenka wrote on X.
Rahul continued his brilliant run in England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) conditions, rewriting record books with another classy century. He finished with 137(247), marking his sixth century in SENA countries, including three in England, one in Australia and two in South Africa.
He overtook the "Wall" Rahul Dravid (2) to register his third century in England as an opener, the most by an Indian in the country.
Meanwhile, Pant, after his 134(178) exploits in the first innings, acted as the catalyst, with KL Rahul serving as the driving force, as they forged a rollicking 195-run partnership in the second innings.
He had to bid his time and slowly moved from 96 to 99. Eventually, he carved the ball towards the deep point off Shoaib Bashir and scurried for a single to become the first Indian batter to smash a century in each innings of a Test in England.