GALLE, Aug 18: India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant created history during the first Test against Sri Lanka by becoming the fastest batter to reach 100 sixes in Test cricket.
Pant achieved the milestone during his 66 run innings in Galle, adding another landmark to an increasingly impressive Test career. He became only the fourth batter to cross the 100 six mark in the longest format, joining Adam Gilchrist, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
His aggressive knock came at a crucial stage for India after the visitors suffered a middle-order collapse. Pant’s calculated attacking approach helped India recover and set Sri Lanka a target of 372 runs.
India’s performance left the hosts under severe pressure, with the visitors moving within sight of victory by the end of the fourth day. Rain remained the major threat to India’s hopes of securing a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pant’s latest achievement further underlined his reputation as one of India’s most attacking Test batters. His ability to change the momentum of a match with counter attacking strokes has become a defining feature of his game.
The Galle performance also strengthened India’s position in the opening match of the series as the visitors continued their push for a convincing start against Sri Lanka.
