Sat Jan 04 16:53:09 UTC 2025: ## Pant Smashes 129-Year-Old Record in Sydney Test
**Sydney, Australia:** Rishabh Pant, India’s star wicketkeeper-batsman, produced a whirlwind knock of 61 runs off just 33 balls in the fifth and final Test against Australia, shattering a 129-year-old record. His explosive innings, featuring six fours and four sixes, included a stunning fifty in only 29 balls.
This performance establishes Pant as the fastest guest batsman to reach a Test fifty in Australia, surpassing the previous record jointly held by England’s John Brown (1895) and the West Indies’ Roy Fredericks (1975), who both achieved the feat in 33 balls. It also marks the second-fastest Test fifty by an Indian batsman, only behind Pant’s own record of 28 balls against Sri Lanka in 2022.
India’s innings started poorly, with early wickets for KL Rahul (13), Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), and Virat Kohli (6), all dismissed by Scott Boland. However, Pant’s arrival injected much-needed aggression. He immediately launched an assault, smashing a six and consistently putting pressure on the Australian bowlers. Despite further wickets, Pant continued his onslaught, hitting three consecutive boundaries in one over and reaching his fifty with a six off Mitchell Starc. He eventually fell for 61, caught by Alex Carey off Pat Cummins.
India, who had a slender four-run lead from the first innings (185 to Australia’s 181), reached 141/6 at stumps on day two, with Ravindra Jadeja (8*) and Washington Sundar (6*) unbeaten.
First Piper 