India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant stormed into the Test record books on Tuesday, becoming the fastest batter in history to reach 100 sixes in the format. He achieved the milestone during a half-century in the second innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
With India adopting an aggressive approach in the second innings on Day 4, Pant’s attacking game provided the perfect catalyst. India had bowled Sri Lanka out for 284 on the third evening to take a 178-run lead and were looking to add to it quickly and create enough time to force a result, especially after losing one-and-a-half sessions to rain on Day 2.
Pant, who had entered Day 4 with 98 Test sixes, hit his 99th against Lahiru Kumara in the 27th over, launching a length delivery high over long-off. He then reached the landmark after lunch against the same bowler.
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Kumara went full and angled the ball into the left-hander, but Pant got inside the line, got underneath it and pulled it over long leg for a maximum to bring up his 100th Test six.
Pant became only the fourth batter in Test history to hit 100 sixes, joining Australia legend Adam Gilchrist (100), New Zealand great Brendon McCullum (107) and former England all-rounder Ben Stokes (138).
He is also the first Asian batter to reach the milestone and the fastest of the four to do so. Pant achieved it in just his 89th innings, 41 innings fewer than the previous record-holder Gilchrist. Stokes took 151 innings to hit his 100th six, while McCullum reached the mark in his 170th.
Pant also needed the fewest deliveries to reach 100 Test sixes, getting there in just 4,918 balls.
His record-breaking innings eventually came to an end when Kumara changed his approach and went short. Pant shuffled across to play the pull but was not in a good enough position to control the shot. He top-edged the delivery, with the ball looping behind the wicketkeeper.
Niroshan Dickwella ran back and completed the catch, dismissing Pant for an entertaining 66 off 69 balls.
The knock, however, had already done its job. India pushed their lead beyond 350, leaving Sri Lanka facing a daunting fourth-innings chase.
Only once has a team successfully chased a target of more than 300 in a Test at Galle. Pakistan achieved the feat in 2022, chasing down 342 with four wickets to spare.