Indian star batter Rishabh Pant continues his strong return to Test cricket. After hitting a century against Bangladesh, Pant has struck an unbeaten fifty in the India vs New Zealand 1st Test in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the wicketkeeper batter has surpassed legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev in a major record list.
Pant, the renowned six-hitter, has gone past Kapil in the list of players to hit the most sixes in Test cricket. The wicketkeeper batter was three sixes away from going past the legendary all-rounder's tally of 61 and he got there while hitting left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel for two sixes in an over. Pant pressed forward and hit Ajaz for back-to-back sixes in an over to go past Kapil and become India's sixth-highest six-hitter in Test cricket.
Most sixes hit by Indians in Test cricket:
1 - Virender Sehwag: 90 sixes in 178 innings
2 - Rohit Sharma: 88 sixes in 107 innings
3 - MS Dhoni: 78 sixes in 144 innings
4 - Sachin Tendulkar: 69 sixes in 329 innings
5 - Ravindra Jadeja: 66 sixes in 108 innings
6 - Rishabh Pant: 63 sixes* in 62 innings
7 - Kapil Dev: 61 sixes in 184 innings
India were handed a trail of 356 runs after the end of the first innings. They were bowled out for 46 in the first essay following which New Zealand piled up 402 runs.
The Indians have fought back hard in the second innings. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a strong start with a 72-run opening partnership. Rohit scored a brisk 63-ball fifty, while Jaiswal fell for 35. Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan took the baton and stitched a partnership of 136 for the third wicket before the former fell off the last ball of the Day 3. Sarfaraz went on to smash his maiden Test ton and Pant kept his march going as India looked to hand the visitors a decent target now.
