'Unacceptable', says Dinesh Karthik on Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni 'greatest in Test format' debate

NEW DELHI: Swashbuckling Rishabh Pant had an emotional return to Test cricket after a long gap of 632 days as he fired a sizzling second-innings ton in India's clinical win over Bangladesh in the Chepauk Test.
With the impressive century, Pant also equalled legendary MS Dhoni's record for most Test tons by a ‘keeper-batter for India -- 6.
And soon after Pant's superb effort in India's win, social media was seen drawing comparisons between Pant and Dhoni, labelling the former as the 'greatest ever in the longest format'.
However, former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik pointed out that the comparisons being made between the two are 'unacceptable' and people shouldn't jump to conclusions.
"It's very unacceptable to say that he's (Pant) played 34 Tests and he's already India's greatest wicket-keeper 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.
"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.
Pant hit a free-flowing 109 against Bangladesh in the second innings which helped India set a massive 515 target for Bangladesh. The visitors succumbed to 234 all out, losing the match by 280 runs.
The Pant 6th Test ton came in just his 58th innings while Dhoni managed 6 centuries in 144 innings.
With the win, India took a 1-0 lead in the 2-Test series.
The second and final Test will begin from September 27 in Kanpur.