Rishabh Pant becomes first Indian with 100 Test sixes: Stats
What's the story
Rishabh Pant, the explosive wicketkeeper-batter, has become the first Indian to complete 100 sixes in Test cricket. The hard-hitting batter reached the milestone on Day 4 of the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. While he cleared the ropes once en route to his 39 in India's first innings, Pant completed the century of sixes with his second and final maximum in the third innings.
Knock
A fine hand from the dasher
Pant came in after skipper Shubman Gill departed for 8, leaving India at 81/3.
Although two more quick wickets brought the visitors down to 120/5, Pant showcased his usual bravado.
His unorthodox shots were on display as he added 54 runs with Ravindra Jadeja.
In the 41st over, Lahiru Kumara dismissed Pant, who scored 66 off 69 balls (8 fours and 2 sixes).
Elite club
Pant joins these names
Having taken just 51 games and 89 innings, Pant became the fastest batter to complete 100 Test sixes, as per Cricinfo.
He, overall, became just the fourth batter with this special milestone.
England's Ben Stokes tops the list with 138 sixes, followed by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (107) and Australia's Adam Gilchrist (100).
Like Pant, each of Gilchrist's 100 sixes came as a designated wicketkeeper-batter.
Information
Pant in a league of his own
While Pant took just 4,918 balls to complete a century of Test sixes, no other batter has reached the milestone in fewer than 6,500 deliveries. Gilchrist (6,578), Stokes (9,756), and McCullum (9,756) are way behind Pant on this list.
Career
Over 3,600 runs in the format
Pant has also been a prolific run-scorer for India, amassing over 3,662 runs at an average of 43.59.
He is the second-highest run-scorer as a wicketkeeper for India in Tests, only behind Dhoni (4,876).
His eight centuries speak volumes about his ability to anchor innings despite the challenges of the format.
Only Gilchrist (17) and Andy Flower (12) have hammered more hundreds as a designated keeper.
The one in Galle was his 20th fifty.
Feat
Pant owns these sixes milestone
Pant owns the record for smashing the third-most sixes in a bilateral Test series, having hit 17 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England last year.
His overall tally of 28 sixes in England is the most for any visiting batter in a nation (excluding neutral games).
Pant is the only Indian batsman to open his Test match career account with a six.
He hit English spinner Adil Rashid for a maximum straight down the ground off the second ball he faced during the 2018 Trent Bridge Test.
Feat
One of the two keepers with this feat
Pant scored centuries in both innings of the Leeds Test match against England last year.
He made 134 in his first outing and followed it up with a score of 118. His match aggregate of 252 runs is the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test.
As per Cricbuzz, Pant became only the second designated wicket-keeper to smoke twin hundreds in a Test, joining Zimbabwe legend Andy Flower.