Rishabh Pant has created history in the Galle Test. Indian team's wicketkeeper batsman Pant has become the fastest player to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. He broke the record of Adim Gilchrist. Former Australian wicketkeeper Gilchrist took 130 innings and 6578 balls to complete his century of sixes. Whereas Pant has achieved this milestone in just 89 innings and 4918 balls.
Pant turned out to be faster than Gilchrist even in terms of minimum number of days after debut. Gilchrist had accomplished this feat in 2933 days, while Pant took 14 days less. Pant is also the fastest batsman to reach 100 sixes in terms of matches. In this case he broke the record of Ben Stokes. Former English captain Stokes had touched this figure in 82 Test matches, while Pant achieved this feat in his 51st Test.
First Indian to do so
Pant is the first Indian player to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. Before this, no Indian player had been able to reach this position. Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma could reach only 91-91 sixes. Talking about world cricket, Gilchrist, Brendon McCullum and Stokes had crossed this figure.
Pant has a chance to make the world record of hitting most sixes in Test cricket. He needs 39 sixes to overtake Stokes (138). At present he is on par with Gilchrist (100). Brendon McCullum (107) is at second position in this list. If Pant hits 8 sixes in the second test against Sri Lanka, he will surpass them.
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Pant played an important innings
The Indian team came out to bat in its second innings today (18 August). Team India had a lead of 178 runs on the basis of first innings. However, his start in the second innings was not good. Star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) returned to the pavilion on the third ball of the innings. After this there was a partnership of 65 runs between KL Rahul (35) and Devdutt Padikkal (44). Team India's innings went as soon as this pair broke. The team had lost 5 wickets for 120 runs.
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Pant took charge from here and played an inning of 66 runs in 69 balls, which included 8 fours and 2 sixes. He was out as the seventh wicket at the score of 174. After this, India lost the remaining 3 wickets in scoring 19 runs. That means Team India's second innings was limited to 193 runs. The Indian team has set a difficult target of 372 runs for Sri Lanka.