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Swashbuckling Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, during his quickfire scintilating knock of 61 runs against Australia in Sydney, completed 5,000 runs in international cricket.
The left-handed hitter reached this milestone during the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy on Saturday. After a patient knock of 40 in 98 balls, consisting of three fours and a six in the first innings, the 27-year-old was back to his big-hitting self in the second innings. Taking down a red-hot Scott Boland for a six on his first ball, Pant kept flirting with danger despite India's circumstances and compiled for himself an entertaining 61 in just 33 balls, with six fours and four sixes. His strike was a whooping 184.85. During the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant has not been at his absolute best but still made 255 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 28.33, and a strike rate of 59.02, with one half-century. He has been unable to convert the most of his starts during the series into big knocks. He is the sixth-highest run-getter in the series. In 150 international matches for India, Pant has made 5,028 runs at an average of 33..97, with seven centuries and 23 fifties in 168 innings. His best score is 159*. Test is his best format, scoring 2,948 runs in 43 matches and 75 innings at an average of 42.11, with six centuries and 15 innings. His best score is 159*. In 31 ODIs, he has made 871 runs at an average of 33.50, with a century and five fifties in 27 innings. His best score is 125*. In 76 T20Is, he has made 1,209 runs at an average of 23.25, and a strike rate of 127.26, with just four half-centuries in 66 innings and best score of 65*. Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries. However, the fight by Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs. Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37. In their first innings, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals even when Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) walked off the field due to an injury scare. Under the stand-in skipper Virat, India continued to dominate the Aussies, skittling them out for just 181 runs and taking a four-run lead. Debutant Beau Webster (57 in 105 balls, with five fours) had a fine showing with the bat and Steve Smith (33 in 57 balls, with four boundaries and a six) showed some attacking intent. Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were the top bowlers for India. In their second innings, despite a promising start by Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (13), Indian batters fell to trap of Boland's (4/42) impressive lines and lengths, with KL, Shubman Gill (13), Virat (6), Nitish Kumar Reddy (8) falling cheaply to consolidate Australia's position in the match. At the end of the day, India made 141/6, with Jadeja (8*) and Sundar (6*). (ANI)
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