Cricket in Numbers: Touring Wicket-Keepers Who Made England Their Playground

But there have been a few wicket-keeper batsmen who have been able to conquer the English conditions. Despite being from the visiting team, they have been able to etch their names in the record books of most runs by a visiting wicket-keeper. Let’s take a look at these players and how many runs they have scored against England in away Tests.

MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as Captain Cool, takes the fourth spot when it comes to the list of most runs scored by a visiting wicket-keeper in England. The 2014 India tour of England was a great one for Dhoni, and if he had received the support from the other end, the results of the games might also have changed.

MS Dhoni finished the five-match Test series as the second highest run scorer for the Indian team, with 402 runs in 5 matches at an average of 40.20, with 4 half-centuries. In the first Test match, he started well, finishing with 82 runs off 152 balls in the first innings. However, a run out from James Anderson made Dhoni miss out on his overseas century.

India performed well in the second match, which led to a win for the team. MS Dhoni was not able to contribute much with the bat. His contributions with the gloves and captaincy remained vital. In the third Test, he smashed another half-century, scoring 50 runs off 113 balls. Despite his best efforts, India ended up losing the game by 266 runs.

During the fourth Test match, where all the other batsmen of the Indian line-up failed to perform, Dhoni ended up scoring 71 runs off 133 balls in the first innings, followed by 27 runs off 22 balls in the second innings. He also concluded the series well, scoring 82 runs off the team’s 148, but still India lost the series 3-1.

Wayne Phillips

Wayne Phillips, the renowned wicket-keeper of the Australian team, also stands tall in the list of most runs scored by a visiting wicket-keeper in England. What’s more interesting about his record is that he created it back in 1985, and only two players since then have been able to breach his mark and dethrone him from the top spot.

Playing in the six-match series against England, Wayne Phillips ended up scoring 350 runs in 6 matches at an average of just 35. Along with that, he also managed to score two half-centuries in the innings he had played throughout the series. The first match of the series was probably the best of them all for Phillips.

In the first innings, he ended up scoring just 30 runs off 35 balls, but in the second innings, he ended up scoring a massive total of 91 runs off 171 balls. Unfortunately, he missed out on a well-deserved century, which could’ve enhanced his name in the history books of cricket. The second match was won by Australia, and Wayne Phillips managed to score well in the game.

The third and fourth Tests didn’t go well for Wayne Phillips, as he was not able to contribute consistently with the bat. But in the fifth Test, he scored 15 runs off 42 balls in the first innings, which was followed by 59 runs off 90 balls in the second innings. Despite his best efforts down the order, Australia ended up losing the series against England by 3-1.

Tom Blundell

The New Zealand tour of England was one-sided for England’s team, but the Kiwis had some different plans. Tom Blundell, in particular, became one of the finest visiting wicket-keepers in England, as he etched his name to the list, dethroning Wayne Phillips after more than two decades. In this three-match series, Tom Blundell ended up scoring an impressive total of 383 runs in 3 matches at an average of 76.60.

In the first Test match being played at Lord’s, Tom Blundell didn’t have a good start, as he scored just 14 runs in the first innings. But in the second innings, he had regained his momentum, as he ended up scoring 96 runs off 198 balls with 12 fours, before he unfortunately lost his wicket. This also led to New Zealand losing the match by a margin of 5 wickets.

Although Tom Blundell missed out on his century in the first match, he completed the unfinished business in the second game. Blundell smashed 106 runs off 198 balls, which helped the Kiwis to take an upper hand in the game. But in the second innings, he fell quickly after scoring 24 runs, as New Zealand again ended up losing this match by a margin of 5 wickets.

His fight against the English bowlers continued even in the final Test of the series, despite New Zealand losing the series after two games. In the last Test, he scored 55 runs off 122 balls in the first innings and 88 runs off 161 balls in the second innings. All of his efforts went in vain as England once again defeated New Zealand by a margin of 7 wickets.

Rishabh Pant

India’s Spidey, also known as Rishabh Pant, ended up breaking all the records made by the other visiting wicket-keepers in England. Despite the series against England still having two matches to end, Rishabh Pant has already taken the top spot in this list. He has scored 425 runs in 3 matches at an average of 70.83, with two centuries and two half-centuries.

His form overseas has already been impressive, and it improved even more in the current series against England. In the first match, he scored 134 runs off 178 balls in the first innings, which was followed by 118 runs off 140 balls in the second innings. With Pant scoring two centuries in a single Test, India still lost the game by 5 wickets.

During the second Test, Rishabh Pant didn’t have a good start as he scored just 25 runs off 42 balls in the first innings. But what followed that was a storm, as Rishabh Pant gained his original form in the second innings and scored 65 runs off 58 balls. India secured an impressive 336-run victory against England in this game, with Pant’s contribution being vital.

In the Lord’s Test, which was a close game for the Indian team, where they lost by 22 runs, Pant performed well despite being injured. In the first innings, he managed to score 74 runs off 112 balls but lost his wicket, followed by a run out by Ben Stokes. In the chase, Pant was sent down early by the English bowlers, as he failed to contribute well.

With the India tour of England having two Tests remaining, will Rishabh Pant be able to become the first visiting wicket-keeper to score 500 runs in a Test series against England?