The flamboyant left-handed batsman brought up his half-century in 28 balls (7×4, 2×6) in the 42nd over of the Indian second innings when he hit a four off Praveen Jayawickrama through extra cover boundary.
India’s first World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev scored a 30-ball fifty against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in 1982.
“Rishabh Pant Fastest to 50 by an Indian in Test cricket, surpasses Kapil Dev… Take Dhanush, Rishabh,” BCCI posted on its Twitter handle.
FIFTY!@RishabhPant17 surpasses Kapil Dev to become the fastest 50 by an Indian in Test cricket. It’s out 28… https://t.co/BDanaQRwDW
—BCCI (@BCCI) 1647174474000
Pant also holds the world record for the fastest half-century by a wicketkeeper-batsman in Tests, bettering the efforts of Australia’s Ian Smith and former India captain MS Dhoni (both with 34-ball half-centuries).
Pant, however, could not make it big and was dismissed on the same score and in the same over, returning Jayawickrama off the last ball.
Shardul Thakur is third in the list of fastest Test half-centuries by an Indian with a 31-ball fifty in the Oval Test against England last year.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag had scored 50 runs in 32 balls against England in Chennai in 2008.