Rishabh Pant Sets Record for Quickest Test Fifty by a Visiting Player in Australia
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Sydney, Jan 4 (NationPress) Rishabh Pant achieved the remarkable feat of scoring the quickest Test half-century on Australian soil by a visiting player during the ongoing fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
After a tough series with the bat, Pant stepped up to showcase his aggressive batting style on day two of this crucial match.
Pant reached his fifty in just 29 balls, hitting a six off Mitchell Starc. This performance surpassed the previous record of 33 balls held by England's John Brown (Melbourne 1895) and Roy Fredericks of the West Indies (Perth 1975). Additionally, it marked the second-fastest half-century by an Indian player in Test cricket.
The record for the fastest half-century by an Indian in a Test match still belongs to Pant, who scored it in 28 balls against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru in 2022.
Pant's explosive innings came to an end when Australia captain Pat Cummins caught an outside edge, leading to wicketkeeper Alex Carey taking the catch. Pant concluded his innings with a score of 61 runs off 33 balls, featuring four sixes and six fours. He also partnered with Ravindra Jadeja in a significant 46-run stand, helping India surpass the three-figure mark.
Prior to Pant's innings, India's top order struggled to make the most of the advantage given by the pacers, who had bowled out Australia for merely 181 runs.
Players such as KL Rahul (13), Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), Virat Kohli (6), Shubman Gill (13), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (4) failed to convert their starts, as Scott Boland took four wickets, while debutant Beau Webster and Cummins contributed with one wicket each, leaving India in a precarious position with six wickets down.
