Test cricket is all about grinding on the pitch for longer durations to score runs. But there have been instances when some batters ditched the conventional mode and went on a rampage.
Many Indian batters have shown this aggressive intent, reaching their fifties in the fewest possible balls. It started with the likes of Kapil Dev and Virender Sehwag, while modern-day batters like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal are carrying forward the intent.
So here are the five fastest fifties smashed by Indian batters in Test cricket.
5. Yashasvi Jaiswal | 31 balls vs Bangladesh, 2024
Since his Test debut in July 2023, the young Yashasvi Jaiswal has been fabulous with the bat. In a short span, the opener has churned out memorable performances, with one such coming against Bangladesh in the 2024 Kanpur Test.
In a rain-hit game that saw no play on the second and third days, India’s batters brought excitement to the match, almost on the brink of a dull draw. After getting Bangladesh bowled out for 233, Jaiswal opened the innings along with captain Rohit Sharma.
The left-hander got off the mark with three consecutive fours in the first over. He made his intentions pretty clear and took the attack to the Bangladeshi bowlers.
Jaiswal raised his half-century in 31 balls, adding spice to the contest. During his 72-run rampage, he scored 12 fours and 2 sixes, helping India declare on 285 for nine and later force a result in their favour by seven wickets.
4. Shardul Thakur | 31 balls vs England, 2021
In 2021, Shardul Thakur came well within reach of breaking a 40-year-old record. In the fourth Test against England at The Oval, India were struggling at 117 for six.
Then the Mumbai all-rounder joined Rishabh Pant, though the pair could add only 10 runs together. But then Thakur got an able company from Umesh Yadav as he started executing his shots.
He primarily targeted Chris Woakes for six fours and a six. Other England bowlers also faced Thakur’s wrath as he reached his fifty in style with a six off 31 balls.
His innings came to an end on 57 runs, pushing India’s total to 191. Thakur scored another crucial 60-run knock in the second dig and picked up three wickets to help India win the Test by 157 runs.
Also Read | Top 4: Batters with Fastest Fifties on Test Debut
3. Kapil Dev | 30 balls vs Pakistan, 1982
Kapil Dev has now slipped to the third spot, though he was at the top for four decades. At a time when scoring quick runs was rare, the former Indian captain broke the mould.
In the 1982 Karachi Test, the Indian team was reeling at 70 for five in the first innings. Then the all-rounder walked out and slammed 73 runs off 53 balls, including 12 fours and a six.
Meanwhile, Dev completed his half-century in 30 balls, setting a template for the upcoming batters. His heroics saw India muster 169 runs, though Pakistan later won the contest by an innings and 86 runs.
2. Rishabh Pant | 29 balls vs Australia, 2025
Rishabh Pant is next on the list with the second-fastest Test fifty for India. He has impressed everyone with his audacious strokeplay in Test cricket.
And his striking was on display in the 2025 Sydney Test when the team was under fire. In the second innings, Pant was out in the middle, with India struggling at 59 for three.
Despite that, the keeper-batter got off the mark in his usual way, smashing Scott Boland for a six over mid-on. He was out there with the intent to score quick runs on a tough batting pitch.
So Pant targeted the debutant, Beau Webster, creaming him for 4 fours and a six. He smashed two consecutive sixes against Mitchell Starc to bring his fifty off 29 balls.
A few balls later, the Delhi batter returned to the hut on 61 runs, while India lost the match by six wickets.
1. Rishabh Pant | 28 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2022
Pant makes another appearance on the list and takes the record for racking up the fastest fifty for India in Test cricket. He surpassed Dev’s 1982 record by taking two fewer balls to reach the 50-run mark.
The keeper-batter did so against Sri Lanka in the 2022 Bengaluru Test. Pant came to bat at No. 5 in India’s second innings, with the team at 116 for three.
India were leading by 259 runs, but they needed more runs from batters to set a tough target. Then Pant started swinging his batter from the word go, hitting fours and sixes with ease.
In no time, he raised his half-century in 28 balls with a four to go down in the record books. Pant fell three balls later, but his rapid knock helped India set a target of 447 runs, which Sri Lanka couldn’t chase.
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