Rishabh Pant, IND vs AUS: During the second day of the Sydney Test, India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant showcased his talent by scoring a half-century in just 29 balls, marking an all-time record. He became the fastest overseas player to achieve a half-century in Test matches played in Australia, joining an exclusive group of only two players in Test history to accomplish this feat.
Pant scored a blistering half-century
In the second innings against Australia, Pant delivered an impressive performance, scoring 61 runs off 33 balls, which included 4 sixes and 6 fours, resulting in a strike rate of 184.85. This marks the second occasion in his Test career where he has scored over 50 runs at a strike rate exceeding 160.
Rishabh Pant and Sir Vivian Richards
The only other player to have achieved this twice is the legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards. Thus, Pant and Richards stand as the only two players in the long history of Test cricket to have scored more than 50 runs at such a high strike rate.
Pant has bagged 878 runs in 21 innings in Australia
Pant’s performance in Australia has been exceptional. He has accumulated 878 runs in 21 innings across 12 Test matches on Australian soil, boasting an average of 46.21. His achievements include one century and three half-centuries. In the Sydney Test, he scored 40 runs in the first innings and 61 in the second, totaling 101 runs for India in the match.
While Rishabh Pant has excelled individually, the Indian team has struggled overall, particularly against the formidable Australian pace attack.