Finally, the popular Rishabh Pant show came, and that too at the most important time. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s fiery batting put the visitors in a good challenging position in the Sydney Test. 

The Sydney Test is the series decider of the thrilling five-match Test series Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where the visitors India are trailing by 2-1. It is a must-win game for India to retain the Trophy by ending the Test series 2-2 and staying in contention for the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship Final. 

Under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah in the Sydney Test, India won the toss and chose to bat first. While India scored 185 runs in the first innings, Australia were all out for 181 runs in their first innings. 

Leading by four runs before the beginning of their second innings, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul provided a positive start, especially Jaiswal who hit four fours to the Aussie left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc in the first over of the innings. After the 42-run opening partnership was broken, India were struggling at 59/3 when Virat Kohli was caught out again at the slip and Rishabh Pant joined the crease.

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Rishabh Pant started with an over-boundary

Fearless Pant started his innings with a sixer against the dangerous-looking Aussie fast bowler Scott Boland. It was just a start as the left-handed batter completed a 29-ball half-century, the second fastest Test fifty by an Indian, and the fastest Test half-century by a visiting batter in Australia.

Pant also holds the record for the fastest Test fifty by an Indian with a 28-ball half-century against Sri Lanka during the 2022 Bengaluru Test. 

Pant broke an almost 50-year-old record

Meanwhile, West Indies cricketer Roy Fredericks was the previous record holder for the fastest Test half-century by a visiting batter in Australia. During the 1975 Perth Test, the Caribbean cricketer recorded a 33-ball fifty against the hosts. 

Pant scored 61 off just 33 balls to shift the Indian total quickly toward setting a challenging and uncomfortable fourth innings target for the hosts. After playing a powerful knock, where the left-handed batter smashed six fours and four sixes, the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins dismissed him. India ended the second day of the Test match at 141/6 with a lead of 145 runs. 

Two back-to-back sixes to Starc

During the latest innings, which is one of his memorable batting performances in Test cricket, Pant smashed three consecutive fours to the Test debutant Beau Webster (18th over of the innings) and two successive sixes to Starc (22nd over of the innings).