Rishabh Pant slams fastest Test fifty by an Indian, breaks Kapil Dev's 40-year-old record

Bengaluru, March 13: Star India batsman Rishabh Pant on Sunday (March 13) broke Kapil Dev's forty-year-old record and became the fastest to hit a fifty for India in Test cricket.

Playing against Sri Lanka on day two of the second Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Pant once again displayed his explosive batting and completed his half-century in just 28 games. In the 42nd over of Team India's second innings, the 24-year-old batsman took a single against Sri Lanka spinner Praveen Jayawickrama to get to his ninth Test half-century.

The left-handed batter hit seven boundaries and a couple of sixes en route to his record-breaking half-century as he surpassed legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev's record of 30-ball fifty which came against arch-rivals Pakistan in 1982 at Karachi.

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Pant's 28-ball 50 also became the second-fastest to slam a fifty in the red-ball format in India. Pant, however, couldn't extend his innings longer as he was caught and bowled by Jayawickrama two balls later.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi owns the record of the quickest half-century in Tests in India which came off just 26 deliveries at the very same venue (Bengaluru) in 2005.

Former Pakistan captain and legendary batsman Misbah Ul Haq is the fastest batsman to complete a half-century in Test cricket when he notched up his fifty off just 24 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

Fastest Test Fifty from Indians:

28 Rishabh Pant vs SL Bengaluru 2022 *

30 Kapil Dev vs Pakistan Karachi 1982

31 Shardul Thakur vs England Oval 2021

32 Virender Sehwag vs England Chennai 2008

Fastest recorded 50s in India in Tests:

26 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) vs India Bengaluru 2005

28 Ian Botham (England) vs India 1981

28 Rishabh Pant (India) vs SL Bengaluru 2022 *

31 Arjuna Ranatunga (SL) vs India 1986