India registered the fastest-ever half-century in history of Test cricket, getting there off just 18 balls as Rohit Sharma‘s team went on a rampage against Bangladesh on Day 4 of the 2nd Test in Kanpur on Monday. After Day 2 and 3 were washed out without a ball bowled, India, understanding the importance of points in the World Test Championship came out all guns blazing. They took a little over a session to bowl out Bangladesh for 233, and then just three overs to race to 53 without loss to send the Green Park audience in total frenzy.
Yashasvi Jaiswal began the onslaught, creaming a hat-trick of boundaries in the first over off over bowled by Hasan Mahmud, before the skipper took strike. And the first ball he faced, Rohit launched pacer Khaled Ahmed over long off. The distance on the ball was so much that it landed in one of the ‘shamiyanas’; the ball remained there for a bit, causing a temporary halt in play before it was finally retrieved. None of that mattered to Rohit though, as he plunged into the next delivery, unleashing his famous pull shot for a second consecutive six. Jaiswal finished the over with his fourth boundary of the innings.
The third over began with a bit of drama. Rohit inside edged the ball, but Bangladesh, to the surprise of the onlookers decided against the DRS despite showing some interest. This spurred Rohit, to the extent that he bludgeoned the next ball, clearing long on comfortably. From there, it was Jaiswal’s turn to take over as he went six, four, four to make it 22 off the over. With that India got to rewrite the record books, surpassing the previous best record held by England (26 balls) against West Indies.
“This is not just Test cricket. This is Test match on steroids,” exclaimed Dinesh Karthik on air.
Here are the fastest team fifties recorded in Test cricket:
3.0 overs (18 balls) – India vs BAN, 2024*
4.2 overs (26 balls) – England vs WI, 2024
4.3 overs (27 balls) – England vs SA, 1994
5.0 overs (30 balls) – England vs SL, 2002
5.2 overs (32 balls) – Sri Lanka vs PAK, 2004
India now also hold the record for most sixes (91) struck by a team in a calendar year.
