Stats: Top 5 fastest fifties by Indians in Tests

Indian wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant scored a sensational half-century off just 29 balls in the ongoing fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, January 4.

Pant scored the second fastest fifty by an Indian in Tests, with the best being his own effort against Sri Lanka off 28 balls in 2022. Pant played an enterprising knock in which he scored six fours and four sixes in his knock.

India bowled out Australia for 181 and took a lead of four runs in their second innings. Despite a bright 42-run opening stand from KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, India kept losing wickets at regular intervals. 

KL Rahul tried to play a cover drive to a delivery from Scott Boland but the ball jagged back in and disturbed the stumps off his inside edge. Yashasvi Jaiswal was rooted to his crease as a delivery from Boland pitched around off and straightened just enough to hit Jaiswal's back pad and hit the top of off stump.

Virat Kohli then fell once again to a delivery outside off stump as he edged a delivery from Boland to second slip. Pant played a patient game in the first innings, but was ready to take on the Australian bowlers from the get-go in the second essay. He danced down the track off the very first ball off Boland and smashed him for a six. 

 Pant's attacking game caught the Australians off guard as he kept on smashing boundaries and sixes at regular intervals. Eventually, his knock ended on 61 off 33 balls as he edged a wide delivery from Cummins behind to the wicketkeeper Alex Carey. India lost the wicket of Nitish Reddy too before the close of play as they are 141/6 with a lead of 145 runs.