Pant slams fastest Test fifty on Australian soil by a visiting batter

Sydney, Jan 4 (IANS) Rishabh Pant smashed the fastest Test half-century on Australian soil by a visiting batter during the ongoing fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Pant, who was struggling with the bat in the series so far, rose to the occasion to unleash his attacking prowess on day two of the series finale.

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.

Earlier, India's top order failed to capitalise on the advantage handed by the pacers after bundling out Australia for 181.

KL Rahul (13), Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), Virat Kohli (6), Shubman Gill (13) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (4) failed to convert their starts as Scott Boland claimed four scalps while debutant Beau Webster and Cummins also chipped in with one wicket each to leave India six down.

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