Dynamic Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant etched his name in cricket history during the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, becoming the first Indian and only the fourth cricketer worldwide to smash 100 sixes in Test cricket. The landmark arrived on Day 4 when Pant hooked pacer Lahiru Kumara over fine-leg to reach his half-century.
The milestone draws him level with Australian legend Adam Gilchrist at third place on the all-time six-hitting chart, trailing only Brendon McCullum (107) and Ben Stokes (138).
According to match coverage by India Today, Pant reached the century of sixes faster than anyone in the game’s history across matches, innings, and deliveries faced. He required just 51 Tests, 89 innings, and 4,918 balls to hit 100 maximums, significantly outpacing Gilchrist, who held the previous record with 130 innings and 6,578 deliveries. Pant also stands as the quickest in terms of days elapsed from debut to achieve the feat.
As reported by NDTV Profit, maximums have played an indispensable role in Pant’s attacking repertoire since his very first scoring shot in Test cricket. Clearing the boundary accounts for over 16 per cent of his aggregate runs in the format, striking a six every 49.34 deliveries.
His dominance against slow bowling remains central to his power-hitting legacy, with 76 of his 100 sixes coming against spin at a rate of one maximum every 27.37 balls.
England spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir have conceded nine sixes each to Pant, while Nathan Lyon conceded seven. Given his current trajectory and strike rate, Pant is well on course to challenge Stokes’ all-time Test six-hitting record in the coming seasons.
