Pant Compared To Viv Richards, Sehwag After Shattering This All-Time Record

Once Rishabh Pant gets going, there's no stopping. The wicket-keeper batter, who had a solitary run under his belt at stumps on Day 1, went berserk from the first ball on Day 2, slamming a half-century in just 36 balls to put India in the driving seat. While Pant didn't last for long after completing his fifty, his fiery knock did shatter an all-time record for India against New Zealand in the third Test, earning comparisons with greats like Viv Richards and Virender Sehwag from Ravi Shastri.

Despite the fact that India's top order witnessed another troubled outing against the Kiwis, Pant didn't shy away from playing his usual brand of cricket. He hit 2 sixes and 8 fours in his 60-run knock before being dismissed by Ish Sodhi.

In the process, Pant became the quickest Indian batter to score a half-century against New Zealand Tests, breaking Yashasvi Jaiswal's record of a 41-ball fifty.

"He was 1 overnight and he's already outscored (Shubman) Gill. The thing with Pant is that he carries a certain reputation - of destroying bowling attacks - and when that is the case, bowlers think 'if I get it even remotely wrong, he will smash me'. People of carried that kind of a reputation were Viv Richards, Kapil Dev Ian Botham." Shastri said on-air as Pant reached the 50-run mark.

"I took some names. Virender Sehwag too played that brand of cricket," Shastri added.

Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day's play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery while knocking off a significant chunk of the first-innings deficit.

At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) was accompanying Gill who hit four boundaries and a six in his 106-ball stay.

Pant's quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians in the last day's session with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.

Pant and Gill, entrusted with the job to control the damage on day two, took an aggressive route as they tore through the Kiwi bowling attack to plunder 77 runs in 14 overs in the first hour, putting on an overall 96 runs for the fifth wicket off only 114 deliveries.

If Pant was more belligerent of the two, Gill showed remarkable improvement in his defence against spinners while the two young Indians were also favoured by luck for being brave in their endeavour with some ordinary fielding by New Zealand.

With PTI Inputs