Rishabh Pant mauled the Sri Lankan bowlers on day 2 of the day-night Test in Bangalore against Sri Lanka and set a new record in Indian Test cricket. He continued his momentum from the first innings, in which he had clattered 39 runs off 26 balls, and grew even more destructive in the second innings to smash the fastest fifty by an Indian batsman in Test cricket.
Pant reached his half-century in just 28 balls, which is now a new record for an Indian batsman; previously swashbuckling all-rounder and former skipper Kapil Dev held the record, having scored his fastest fifty in 30 balls versus Pakistan in 1982. Shardul Thakur had last year raised his half-century in 31 balls against England at the Oval.
India had already taken a massive first-innings lead of 143 runs and were piling further on it when Pant entered at the team’s score of 116-3, with the pitch still misbehaving but the Lankans left demoralised under the mounting lead. Pant was about to make hay on Lanka’s misery.
On his second ball, Pant was down the track lofting Jayawickrama over deep mid-wicket. He then tore into Dhananjaya de Silva, whacking the off-spinner, despite his unfavourable match-up, for 4, 6, 4, bringing out the cut, a mistimed smash down the ground, and the reverse sweep.
The 24-year-old was firing all cylinders, not holding back in spite of the turn and the variable bounce on this pitch. Lakmal and de Silva were taken for a boundary each and Jayawickrama conceded three more fours, the third one of which brought up Pant’s fifty off 28 balls. It had to be Pant to break the fastest fifty record.
Jayawickrama would have the last laugh though as Pant mishit one off the spinner while looking for the fence once again, and the bowler himself caught the skier. Pant walked back to a huge round of applause from the Chinnaswamy crowd, having quickly taken the game far away from Sri Lanka.
Netizens were thoroughly entertained with this knock from the stylish southpaw.
Here are some of the best tweets lauding Rishabh Pant for his fireworks:
Well played @RishabhPant17 ???? pic.twitter.com/GvgDXVFymg
— Suresh Raina?? (@ImRaina) March 13, 2022
How can you watch rishabh Pant bat & act like you don’t like him
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant plays the game like every kid dreams of doing. That he has the skill to execute it at test level too makes him one of the most fun cricketers going.
— Adam Sutherland (@ADSutherland_) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant is the Adam Gilchrist many thought other keepers would be.
— Nikhil ? (@CricCrazyNIKS) March 13, 2022
50 off 28 balls. Electric. This is Rishabh Pant’s time and we’re just living in it. #INDvSL
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) March 13, 2022
The frequency with which @RishabhPant17 produces such knocks is just incredible. Usually if a batter is mercurial he’s not consistent. But in Pant we’ve a mercurial batter who’s consistent. World beater! #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/qse2dY0zOz
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant becomes the FIRST player to record 15+ runs at 150+ strike-rate in both innings of a Test match.
Scores 39(26) followed by 50(31) in this Test.#INDvSL
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant on a Bengaluru pitch where it was difficult to buy runs:
89 runs in 56 balls at a Strike Rate of 158.92.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant in the records books. What a player, what a talent. pic.twitter.com/CZi5iBygM3
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 13, 2022
Kapil Dev should be smiling to see his record broken by a player who played a Nataraj shot against spinner while doing it. #INDvSL #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/soH4PUzNtR
— Kaushik (@_CricKaushik_) March 13, 2022
Fastest 50 by an Indian test match history. Well played Rishabh pant ?
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 13, 2022
Virat Kohli having the best view to enjoy Rishabh Pant’s sixes. pic.twitter.com/2YEhEIyZ4p
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 13, 2022
We are all loving it. The Rishabh Pant era. pic.twitter.com/aXrImDLVFg
— Kaushik (@_CricKaushik_) March 13, 2022
