Rishabh Pant better than MS Dhoni in Tests? Dinesh Karthik settles the debate

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has given his take on who’s better wicketkeeper batter for India in Tests between Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni. Notably, Pant scored his sixth Test century on his comeback to the format after over 20 months on Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh.
Pant scored 109 (128) with the help of 13 fours and four sixes and helped India set a massive target of 515 for Bangladesh in the fourth innings. Following his hundred, he levelled with former India captain MS Dhoni in terms of most hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests.
Pant’s phenomenal numbers in Tests have sparked the debate amongst fans whether he’s the greatest ever wicketkeeper batter for India in Tests. Karthik also gave his thoughts on the debate and said that it’s unacceptable to call Pant the greatest ever yet as he’s played just 34 matches.
“It’s very unacceptable to say that he’s played 34 Tests and he’s already India’s greatest wicketkeeper batter. Let’s take time, let’s not jump to conclusions but definitely he’s on course for sure and he will finish as India’s greatest ever wicketkeeper,” said Karthik on Cricbuzz chatter.
Further speaking ahead, Karthik shed light on Dhoni’s career as a wicketkeeper and mentioned that his achievements as a skipper give him more weightage than Pant as of now.
“Don’t discount Dhoni’s credentials as a wicketkeeper as well. He not only kept brilliantly, batted and scored runs when it mattered very very well for India but also he led India to a World Test Championship mace which is becoming number 1. So you got to give all that weightage as well when you speak about a player all round,” he added.
Dhoni played 90 Tests in his career and scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 registering six hundreds and 33 fifties. Apart from that, he also has fifth most dismissals in the longest format to his name (294). He’s also just the second Indian captain after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to win a Test series in New Zealand in 2009. Under his reign, India also became the world’s number one Test team for the first time in the same year and drew their first ever series in South Africa by (1-1).
On the other hand, Pant has scored 2419 runs from 34 matches so far at an average of 44.79 with six hundreds and 11 fifties. He’s also India’s third most successful wicketkeeper in Tests with 134 dismissals to his name so far.