IND vs AUS: India and Australia are currently engaged in the 5th Test match in Sydney. After winning the toss, Team India captain Jasprit Bumrah chose to bat first. The Indian team was eventually all out for 185 runs in the first innings. In response, Team India successfully bowled out Australia for 181 runs. This presented Team India with an opportunity to set a competitive target in the second innings. During this innings, Rishabh Pant, the star wicketkeeper batsman for Team India, played a remarkable innings. Although he achieved a significant record on Australian soil, he narrowly missed another notable achievement.
Rishabh Pant Misses a Notable Record
When Rishabh Pant arrived at the crease to bat for Team India, the team had lost four wickets at a score of 78 runs. From this point, Pant played an explosive innings and established a special record for India. In this match, Rishabh Pant scored 61 runs in 33 balls, completing his half-century in just 29 balls. This is the second-fastest half-century by an Indian player in the history of Test cricket. Previously, Pant had scored a half-century in 28 balls against Sri Lanka in 2022, which remains the fastest by an Indian player. Although he had the opportunity to break his own record with the fastest half-century in this match, he fell short.
Fastest Half-Centuries for India in Test Cricket
- 28 balls – Rishabh Pant
- 29 balls – Rishabh Pant
- 30 balls – Kapil Dev
- 31 balls – Shardul Thakur
- 31 balls – Yashasvi Jaiswal
Fastest Innings of 33 Balls
Pant’s innings of 61 runs included a total of six fours and four sixes. This is the fastest innings of 33 balls by a visiting batsman on Australian soil. Pant maintained a strike rate of 184.85 during this innings. Previously, England’s John Brown (Melbourne 1895) and West Indies’ Roy Fredericks (Perth 1975) had achieved the fastest innings in 33 balls. Pant has broken this record after 50 years.