Sydney, Jan 4 With the Indian top order once again failing to give the side a strong start, Rishabh Pant walked in on Day 2 of the final Test with his side reeling at 59/3 and went on to hit the fastest fifty by a visiting batter on Australian soil.
Pant’s contribution of 61 off 33 deliveries, laced with six fours and four sixes, was labelled as truly remarkable by India great Sachin Tendulkar.
“On a wicket where majority of the batters have batted at a SR of 50 or less, @RishabhPant17's knock with a SR of 184 is truly remarkable. He has rattled Australia from ball one. It is always entertaining to watch him bat. What an impactful innings!” Tendulkar posted on X.
Pant completed his fifty off 29 balls with the help of a six against Mitchell Starc. He bettered previous 33-ball efforts by England's John Brown (Melbourne 1895) and West Indies' Roy Fredericks (Perth 1975). It was also the second-fastest half-century by an Indian batter in a Test match.
The fastest half-century record by an Indian batter in a Test match also belongs to Pant which he attained in 28-ball against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru in 2022.
The wicketkeeper-batter's knock was finally put to an end by Australia captain Pat Cummins off an outside edge to Alex Carey behind the stumps. Pant slammed 61 off 33 balls studded with four sixes and six fours. He was also involved in a 46-run crucial partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to take India's total past three figures.
India ended the day at 141/6 and will be hoping Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who remained unbeaten at stumps, to add some valuable runs before the side comes to defend what seems to be a modest total in the making.
With the series visitors leading the series 2-1, the Indian bowling attack will have to be in full swing in the final innings if India hope to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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