In the ongoing third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, Indian batsman Rishabh Pant has achieved a remarkable feat. He not only became the fastest Indian to score a half-century in Test cricket against the Kiwi team, but he also accomplished a milestone that no one has achieved in the history of Test cricket. Pant came to bat when the team was in a tough spot and became the savior by scoring his 13th Test half-century.
This half-century is Pant’s 13th in Test cricket, and he reached the 50-run mark in just 36 balls, making it the fastest half-century by any Indian against New Zealand. Along with Pant, the list includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harbhajan Singh, and Sarfaraz Khan.
Fastest Half-Centuries by Indians Against New Zealand:
- Rishabh Pant – 36 balls
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – 41 balls
- Harbhajan Singh – 42 balls
- Sarfaraz Khan – 42 balls
It’s worth noting that Rishabh Pant also holds the record for the fastest half-century in Test cricket for India, having achieved this against Sri Lanka in 2022 in just 28 balls.
In addition, Pant set another record that no other player has achieved in Test cricket history. During this innings, he hit 2 sixes, bringing his total to 66 sixes in Test cricket, which is more than the 65 innings he has played. Pant has played 38 Test matches so far, with 65 opportunities to bat. He is the only batsman on the list of players who have batted at least 50 times where the number of sixes he hit is greater than the number of innings he has played.
In the first innings against New Zealand, Pant scored 60 runs off 59 balls, hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes. With this performance, he became India’s top batsman in Test cricket as a wicketkeeper to score more than 50 runs with a strike rate above 100. He surpassed former captain MS Dhoni in this regard. Currently, the only player ahead of Pant in world cricket is Adam Gilchrist.
Most 50+ Scores by Wicketkeepers in Tests with a Strike Rate Over 100:
- 8 – Adam Gilchrist
- 5 – Rishabh Pant*
- 4 – MS Dhoni
- 4 – Jonny Bairstow
- 4 – Sarfaraz Ahmed
- 3 – Quinton de Kock
- 3 – Niroshan Dickwella
- 3 – Matt Prior