Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 15 : Star wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant smashed his way to a record, overtaking Virender Sehwag as India's most prolific six-hitter in Tests! He achieved this feat on Day 2 of the India vs South Africa 1st Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, hitting 2 sixes off 24 deliveries.
Pant now leads the charts with 92 sixes, followed by Sehwag (90), Rohit Sharma (88), Ravindra Jadeja (80), and MS Dhoni (78). He's also 7th globally, behind England's Ben Stokes (136).
The left-handed batter ranks seventh on the all-time list for most sixes in Test cricket, with England captain Ben Stokes leading the table at 136.
Pant needed one six to go past Virender Sehwag's tally of 90 sixes for India in Tests when he came to the crease on Saturday morning, and he achieved the objective on the very fifth ball that he faced off the South African spinner Keshav Maharaj's bowling. Soon after, he hit Maharaj another six before he was dismissed by pacer Corbin Bosch.
Coming to Day 2 of the India vs South Africa Test in Kolkata, India went into Lunch at 138/4, with Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel unbeaten at the crease. Resuming from the overnight score of 37/1 and trailing South Africa by 122 runs, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar added steady runs before spinner Simon Harmer ended their 57-run stand, dismissing Sundar for 29. Shubman Gill retired hurt shortly after, bringing Pant to the middle. Pant scored a quickfire 27, but was removed by Corbin Bosch just as his partnership with Rahul began to build. Rahul was later dismissed for a gritty 39, leaving India at 132/4 before Jadeja and Jurel saw the team through to the first session's end.