Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant slammed the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batsman in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against Sri Lanka.
Pant, who came out to bat at No.5, launched a carnage against the bowlers, hitting everything at his arc to score a 28-ball half-century. With his brisk fifty, Rishabh Pant broke Kapil Dev’s almost 40-year record of the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter.
Kapil Dev had scored a 30-ball half-century while batting against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in December 1982. However, the cricketer from Delhi bettered it in Bengaluru to send the fans in frenzy on a turning Chinnaswamy wicket.
The social media platforms went gaga over Rishabh Pant’s blitz that almost threw Sri Lanka out of the game. They believe that Pant era has began in Indian cricket.
Watch the reactions here:
Well played @RishabhPant17 🇮🇳🚀🙌 pic.twitter.com/GvgDXVFymg
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) March 13, 2022
We are perhaps entering the Rishabh Pant era in Indian cricket.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) March 13, 2022
Fastest 50 by an Indian test match history. Well played Rishabh pant 👏
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 13, 2022
The frequency with which @RishabhPant17 produces such knocks is just incredible. Usually if a batter is mercurial he's not consistent. But in Pant we've a mercurial batter who's consistent. World beater! #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/qse2dY0zOz
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant about T20 and Test Cricket: pic.twitter.com/nPGEsjdREz
— Rario (@rariohq) March 13, 2022
Rank Turner? No Problem
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) March 13, 2022
Rishabh Pant breaks Kapil Dev record to smash fastest fifty by an Indian in Test cricket history.
You know Rishabh Pant is a special player when umpires are warning him for batting too down and on danger area on the surface. 🤷♂️
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) March 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/smileandraja/status/1502982554265296898?s=20&t=06ejXo0d0LtGEzHjqlA2LQ
Hum iss ladke ko jaante hain 😁 #RishabhPant #INDvsSL
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) March 13, 2022
Fastest 50 for India in test by #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/sm3zGXoH8Q
— Aman_Chain 🇮🇳 (@Amanprabhat9) March 13, 2022
India in driving seat at Bengaluru Test
Meanwhile, India had secured a crucial 143-run lead in the first innings, picking up Sri Lanka’s remaining four wickets within the first 30 minutes. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers, picking up a five-wicket haul, his first in India and eighth overall. Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin scalped two apiece while Axar Patel dismissed Charith Asalanka.
In reply, Rohit Sharma got India off to a flying start, stretching the lead to over 200. He dispatched the bad deliveries before holing out to Angelo Mathews at the boundary, four short of another half-century. Hanuma Vihari also walked back after another gritty knock while Virat Kohli was unlucky yet again to be trapped LBW on a delivery that kept low.
While Kohli’s dismissal made the Chinnaswamy crowd sad but Rishabh Pant light up the mood of the fans with a brisk knock. India is currently placed 199/5 at dinner break, with a lead of 342 runs in the second innings.
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