RISHABH PANT BREAKS KAPIL DEV’S RECORD FOR FASTEST FIFTY BY INDIA BATTER
(The Quiver): Flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant on Sunday broke the legendary Kapil Dev’s 40-year-old record of fastest Test fifty by an Indian on the second day of the Day/Night match against Sri Lanka here. The dashing left-hander cruised to his fifty in 28 balls (7×4, 2×6) in the 42nd over of Indian second innings when he hit a Praveen Jayawickrama delivery through the extra cover boundary.
With this feat, he surpassed former India captain Kapil Dev’s 40-year-old record. The legendary all-rounder had smashed a 40-ball half century in 1982 against Pakistan in Karachi. Kapil Dev had scored a 30-ball half-century while batting against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in December, 1982. Despite his heroics, Pakistan went on to win the match by an innings and 86 runs.
Pant also set a world record for notching up the fastest fifty by a wicketkeeper-batter in Tests, bettering the efforts of Australia’s Ian Smith and former India captain MS Dhoni (both scored 34-ball fifty).
