Pakistan batter Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest half-century by balls faced in men's Test cricket history (where data is available). Here is a list of the quickest efforts in history.
Test cricket is usually the slowest format of cricket, given the length of the game and no restrictions of the number of balls bowled in an innings. But there are times when batters can go after the bowling, due to the match situation, or simply in an effort to shift pressure back onto the bowling side.
Here are the quickest half-centuries, by balls faced, in the history of men's Test cricket.
Fastest Test half-centuries: The top five in men's cricket
Misbah-ul-Haq: 21 balls, Pakistan v Australia, Abu Dhabi 2014
In Abu Dhabi in 2014, Pakistan had declared their first innings at 570-6 before bowling Australia out for 261 to take a 309-run lead. They chose to bat again, aiming for a declaration.
Misbah-ul-Haq, fresh off a first-innings ton, came to the crease at 152-3 in 43.4 overs. Pakistan were in pursuit of quick runs by this point, and he obliged. Misbah raced to a half-century off 21 deliveries, before eventually notching up an unbeaten 101 off just 57 balls, laced with 11 fours and five sixes. Pakistan declared at 293-3, and ended up winning by a mammoth 356 runs.
David Warner: 23 balls, Australia v Pakistan, Sydney 2017
In another Australia-Pakistan clash three years later in Sydney, the roles were reversed. Australia took a 223-run first innings lead before going in to bat again. Opener David Warner set about in destructive fashion to reach a fifty off 23 balls before being bowled by Wahab Riaz for 55.
Australia declared at 241-2, and secured a 220-run win.
Jacques Kallis: 24 balls, South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cape Town 2005
South Africa's bowlers paved the way for Jacques Kallis in this match, as they skittled Zimbabwe for 54 in the first innings in Cape Town. Openers Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers put on 217, before Kallis walked in at 234-2. He set about scattering the bowling, reaching a half-century off 24 balls and finishing on 54 not out off 25 balls.
South Africa went on to win by an innings and 21 runs, and Kallis' record remained unmatched for nine years.
Ben Stokes: 24 balls, England v West Indies, Birmingham 2024
Against West Indies in Birmingham, England captain Ben Stokes opened the innings in place of the injured Zak Crawley in a small fourth-innings chase of 82. He went after the bowling from ball one, treating the opposition with disdain. Stokes was unable to beat Misbah's record but did register England's fastest ever Test fifty, off 24 balls.
He took England over the line alongside Ben Duckett for a 10-wicket win, remaining unbeaten on 57.
Shane Shillingford: 25 balls, West Indies v New Zealand, Jamaica 2014
Shane Shillingford had been selected for his spin bowling, but showed off his batting capability against New Zealand in Jamaica in 2014. West Indies were on the receiving end of two separate declarations and needed 403 to win in the fourth innings. Their chase never got going, and Shillingford was the last man in at 134-9.
In an awesome display of hitting, he walloped five sixes and three fours to record a 25-ball half-century in an 82-run stand with No.10 Sulieman Benn. West Indies were bowled out for 216 eventually to lose by 186 runs, but Shillingford remained unbeaten on 53.
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