India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant became the fastest batter ever to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket, achieving the feat during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday
Eight years to the day he made his Test debut against England in Nottinham, the 28-year-old Pant notched up his landmark 100th six with his third maximum against Sri Lanka on day four of the match
Pant launched the 14th ball of his second innings over long-off for a six off fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, signalling a ball change
He then reached the milestone with a hooked six over fine leg off Kumara to reach his fifty in 53 deliveries
Pant became only the fourth batter to register 100 sixes in the longest format after Adam Gilchrist, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes
Stokes, who retired recently from international cricket, remains the highest six-hitter in the format with 138 maximums
Pant, however, became the quickest to reach the milestone in terms of deliveries faced. The Delhi batter reached the landmark in only 4918 deliveries, bettering Gilchrist, who was the first and the quickest to 100 Test sixes in 6578 deliveries
With 80 sixes, Pant is the second-highest six-hitter in the ICC World Test Championship, only second to Stokes(88)
Virender Sehwag ranks second on the all-time charts for India with 90 sixes, followed by former captain, Rohit Sharma (88) and Ravindra Jadeja (82)
Appearing in 51 matches, Pant has amassed over 3619 runs in his career at a near 44 average with eight centuries and 15 half-centuries
