IND vs SL: Rishabh Pant Scores India's Fastest Half Century In Test Cricket

The wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant smashed the fastest half-century by an Indian cricketer in the history of Tests during Day 2 of the Bengaluru Test against the Sri Lankans.

Pant came in when Hanuma Vihari was dismissed and the Lankan spinners were dictating terms on a turning surface at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. He signaled his intentions on the very second ball, dancing down the track and pumping one over deep mid-wicket for his first six of the match.

He didn’t stop, particularly developing a liking for the left-arm spin duo of Praveen Jayawickrama and Lasith Embuldeniya. Pant smashed seven more boundaries and another six to reach the fifty in 28 balls in the 42nd over of the Indian innings.

It is two deliveries lesser than what the former legendary all-rounder, Kapil Dev, had taken back in Karachi against Pakistan. Shardul Thakur is in third place having smashed a fifty in 31 balls against England at the Oval last year.

With that, Pant now holds the record for the fastest fifty by an Indian and the join second-fastest in India after the likes of Shahid Afridi (26 balls) and Sir Ian Botham (28 balls).

Fastest Test 50 among Indians:

Rishabh Pant (28 balls) vs Sri Lanka, 2022
Kapil Dev (30 balls) vs Pakistan, 1982
Shardul Thakur (31 balls) vs England, 2021
Virender Sehwag (32 balls) vs England, 2008

Pant was dismissed soon after he reached his 50 but he had once again done the job for the team. In the first-innings, he played a counter-attacking 39 that shifted the momentum towards the home team and he managed to do the same in the second innings as well.

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