Rishabh Pant took the Bengaluru crowd on Day 2 of the ongoing Pink Ball Test against Sri Lanka, beating the fastest fifty of any Indian in Test cricket. Pant reached Phi’s half-century in just 28 balls, beating Kapil Dev’s record set in 1982 when the former World Cup captain hit a fifty in just 30 balls against Pakistan in Karachi.
India vs. Sri Lanka, Pink Ball Test Day 2: Live Updates
Pant smashed 7 boundaries and 2 sixes while going from the start on a pitch dominated by pink cherry bowlers after the bowling attack in Sri Lanka. Pant got out right after hitting his fifty to hit another in the stands of M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
FASTEST TEST OF THE 1950S FOR INDIA
Rishabh Pant – 50 from 28 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru in 2022
Kapil Dev – 50 from 30 balls against Pakistan in Karachi in 1982
Shardul Thakur – 50 from 31 balls against England in London in 2021
Virender Sehwag – 50 from 32 against England in Chennai in 2008
Notably, Pant became the first decoy in Test cricket history to score more than 30 points in both innings of a game with a batting average over 150.
TROUSERS IN PINK_BALL TEST
1st Innings: 39/26 (Strike Rate: 150.00)
2nd innings: 50/31 (strike rate: 161.29)
Known for his fearless approach, Pant used this attribute on a field where batters wanted to score quickly and knew blocking wouldn’t help. Pant began his tap by dancing down the wicket and smashing one into the stands in the middle of the wicket to make his intentions clear.
He performed a late cut that nearly shaved the stump, performed reverse sweeps and danced down the track against the off-spinner to smack him over the long-off boundary, showing off his range to a packed Bengaluru audience.
Pant’s fast 50 saw India hit 199/5 on Day 2 at Tea, extending their lead to 342 runs in the Pink Ball Test.
Earlier in the day Virat Kohli made another low held delivery as he looked frustrated after bringing LBW to Pravin Jayawickrama. Rohit Sharma and Hanuma Vihari sewed a 55-run streak after India lost Mayank Agarwal early on.
However, Rohi (46) missed a fifty after leaving de Silva while Vihari was castled by Jayawickrame, who overcame a knee injury to take 3 wickets ahead of Tea.
