Watch: Rishabh Pant’s trademark one-handed shots were on full display during his epic knock of 96 in 97 deliveries during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali.
Pant, who came out to bat with the scorecard reading 175-4 on Friday, reached his seventh Test fifty off 73 balls, but went on a rampage thereafter, hitting 46 runs in the next 24 deliveries that he faced, including a stretch of 42 runs in 13 balls. The wicketkeeper, who can stake a claim to being the definitive player of one-handed shots, whipped them out again in yet another memorable knock. Having raced to 72 in 81 balls, Pant first sent a one-handed heave for a four, and then did one better, smashing a one-handed maximum.
The 24-year-old did not get to the pitch of the Dhananjaya de Silva delivery in the 77th over but went through with the hit as his bottom hand came off the handle, with the ball flying down the ground for a four. On the very next ball, Pant stepped out and lofted de Silva with one hand yet again but with greater power for a huge six.
It was one of four sixes he smashed in an innings of high entertainment and skill. Pant has 42 sixes in his Test career thus far, the second-most in the world since making his debut in 2018.
The left-hander narrowly missed out on his fifth Test hundred, falling four runs short after being knocked over by Suranga Lakmal, to register his fifth score in the 90s. India ended Day 1 at a commanding position, making 357-6 in 85 overs.
