It was on 18 August 2018 that Pant made his Test debut for India against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. He opened his account in the format in memorable fashion, hitting Adil Rashid for a six. Eight years later, on the same date, Pant marked the anniversary of his Test debut by producing another landmark six.
The occasion came during India’s second innings of the Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Pant scored 66 before being dismissed, but his innings carried far greater significance than the score alone suggested. He struck two sixes, with the second taking him into an exclusive club in Test cricket.
In the 37th over, Pant moved towards the off side and launched Lahiru Kumara over deep fine leg. The shot brought up his 100th six in Test cricket, making him the first Indian batter to reach the landmark.
Pant achieved the feat in his 89th Test innings, having played 51 matches. More significantly, it made him the fastest batter in Test history to hit 100 sixes.
Before Pant, Adam Gilchrist held the record for reaching the century of sixes in the fewest innings. The former Australia wicketkeeper-batter had needed 130 innings to reach 100 Test sixes. Pant surpassed that mark by a remarkable 41 innings.
The difference is even more striking when Pant’s numbers are compared with the other leading six-hitters in Test history. England’s Ben Stokes reached his 100th six in his 151st innings, while New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum achieved the milestone in his 170th. Pant, therefore, reached three figures 62 innings earlier than Stokes and 81 innings ahead of McCullum.
Only four players have now hit at least 100 sixes in Test cricket: Stokes, McCullum, Pant and Gilchrist. Stokes currently leads the overall list with 138 sixes from 220 innings.
Pant had already surpassed Virender Sehwag as India’s leading Test six-hitter. Sehwag finished his Test career with 90 sixes, a mark Pant overtook some time ago. The question then became not whether Pant would reach 100, but how quickly he would do so.
That wait ended in Galle.
Test Sixes Milestone
| Batter | Test sixes | Innings to reach 100 sixes |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Stokes | 138 | 151 |
| Brendon McCullum | 107 | 170 |
| Rishabh Pant | 100 | 89 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 100 | 130 |
Pant’s landmark six was also characteristically aggressive. Moving across towards the off stump, he used his unusual positioning to get underneath Kumara’s delivery and deposited it over deep fine leg. It was the sort of inventive and attacking stroke that has become closely associated with Pant’s batting.
His ability to score quickly and attack bowlers in unconventional areas has made him one of the most distinctive wicketkeeper-batters of his generation. The 100th six was therefore fittingly achieved with a shot that reflected his trademark approach.
For Pant, the milestone adds another significant achievement to a Test career that has already produced several memorable performances. For India, it also underlines the attacking dimension he brings to the middle order.
Reaching 100 Test sixes in only 89 innings has placed Pant alone at the top of the fastest-ever list. With Stokes still leading the overall tally, Pant now has another major record within sight: becoming the highest six-hitter in Test history.
At 26, he has already entered territory that took some of the game’s most prolific attacking batters considerably longer to reach.
