3 fastest batters to 50 sixes in Test cricket
On Wednesday, 14 December, India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant once again made Test cricket history during the first Test against India. He played a counter-attacking knock of 46 off 45 deliveries. This innings contained two sixes, enough to make the left-handed batsman the third-quickest to 50 sixes in Test cricket.
While Pant couldn't build on his good start, he did create some trouble for the home team's bowlers. This belligerent approach of Pant is behind his swift rise to 50 sixes in Test cricket.
This raises the obvious question - Who have been more prolific as six-hitters in this format. Le's take a look at three batsmen who reached the milestone of 50 sixes in the 5-day format in shortest time, including Pant.
#1 Shahid Afridi
lowest innings/six ratio in Test cricket (Minimum 50 sixes)*
Shahid Afridi 0.92 (52 in 48)
Rishabh Pant 1.08 (50 in 54)
Chris Cairns 1.20 (87 in 104)
Rohit Sharma 1.20 (64 in 77)
Adam Gilchrist 1.37 (100 in 137)
* ("where data available")
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Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi remains the fastest to reach 50 sixes in the longest format. He reached the milestone in 46 innings. The big-hitting former Pakistan captain finished his Test career with 52 sixes in 27 Tests. He scored 1,716 runs at an average of 36.51. His strike rate of 87 was an outlier in the format.
While he was not as successful in Test cricket as compared to white-ball cricket, he still had a few iconic performances with the bat. The most sixes hit by Afridi in a Test innings was 7. He scored 103* off just 80 deliveries in that knock, against arch-rivals India in Lahore in 2006.
#2 Rohit Sharma
India captain Rohit Sharma made his Test debut against West Indies in 2013. He had a dream start to his career - scoring centuries in his first two innings. He brought up 50 sixes in the format in just 51 innings.
Sharma has scored 3,137 runs in 45 Tests at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 56. This shows that he is not an out-and-out aggressive batsman in Test cricket. His approach is very similar to that of any quality Test batter in the globe. However, he does take up a more aggressive approach in Asian conditions, particularly against spinners.
In his first Test as an opener, he hit a world-record 13 sixes in a Test match, against South Africa in 2019. He showed us that on his day, he can make the bowlers pay - the margin of error against a batsman like him is extremely low when he is on song.
#3 Rishabh Pant
Eighth Indian batter to smash 50 sixes in Test cricket 👏
Another milestone for Rishabh Pant 🔥👏
#RishabhPant #India #BANvsIND #Cricket #Tests https://t.co/lF7T9En1fk
Rishabh Pant made his Test debut against England in 2018. Since his debut, he has been one of the best batters for India in Test cricket. The keeper-batsman has scored 2,169 runs in 32 Tests at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 73.
This is an elite record considering he has played over 20 Tests outside Asia. He is the only Indian wicket-keeper batsman with Test hundreds in South Africa, Australia, and England.
He brought up 50 sixes in the format in his 54th innings, hitting a slog-sweep against Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh. Poetically, he opened his account in Test cricket with a six off Adil Rashid. Along with the 50 Test sixes milestone, Pant also brought up 4000 runs in international cricket in the first innings of the ongoing match at Chattogram.
The highest number of sixes hit in an innings by the swashbuckling southpaw is 5 - against England in Chepauk, 2021. He scored 91 runs off just 88 deliveries in that innings, taking on spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess.
He has a very promising career ahead of him in all formats of the game, and the Delhi lad is already a bonafide superstar in Indian cricket.