Rishabh Pant's troubleshooting knock couldn't change India's fate on Day 2 of the fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Test Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 4, Saturday. India were precariously placed at 141/6 at Day 2 stumps despite Rishabh Pant's counter-attacking 33-ball 61. Looks like the grand finale of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 won't last five days, unlike the previous series where the Gabba Test stretched across all five days.
India vs Australia's 5th Test poised for a thrilling finish
A total of 15 wickets tumbled on Day 2, as fast bowlers ruled the day all along despite the scorching sun at the SCG. Rishabh Pant, the hero of the Gabba Test in 2020/21, once again tried to keep India afloat in the match with his stunning knock. His blitzkrieg saw India taking a 145-run lead over Australia. At the end of the day's play, India were positioned at 141/6 with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar intact on the crease.
Rishabh Pant's blistering fifty, the fastest by any Indian on Australian soil, ignited the Indian innings on Day 2 of the Sydney Test. Facing a barrage from Scott Boland on a challenging SCG pitch, Pant unleashed his trademark counter-attacking style, smashing 29 balls to reach the milestone. His fiery batting disrupted Australia's momentum and put immense pressure back on the fast bowlers who were thriving on the increasingly lively pitch.
Rishabh Pant's blistering fifty
Walking in at 78/4 after Virat Kohli's dismissal, Pant made his presence felt with a robust six off Boland on the very first ball he faced. Despite facing criticism for his sometimes reckless approach, Pant played both cautiously and aggressively. He plundered 6 fours and 4 sixes in his 33-ball innings, transforming the course of the match. At a juncture where India seemed destined for a score below 150.
The SCG pitch has proven to be a challenging surface for batters, with the fast bowlers exploiting seam, swing, and bounce effectively. However, Pant defied these conditions, launching a ferocious assault on the Australian bowlers. During the course of his knock, Pant also recorded the second fastest fifty for India in Tests.
Indian batters with fastest Test fifties:
28 Rishabh Pant vs SL Bengaluru 2022
29 Rishabh Pant vs Aus Sydney 2025 *
30 Kapil Dev vs Pak Karachi 1982
31 Shardul Thakur vs Eng The Oval 2021
31 Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Ban Kanpur 2024
Following Pant's dismissal Nitish Reddy too returned to the pavilion after scoring just 4 runs, falling prey to Scott Bland in the 28th over. Scott Boland, maintaining his consistent line and length, capitalised on this pressure to claim the wicket. It was Boland's fiery spell of 4/42 which did the trick for Australia once again.
Pant's counter-attacking knock, especially with the uncertainty around Jasprit Bumrah, who was forced to leave the field for scans due to back issues, proved to be invaluable for India on Day 2.
Earlier, Indian bowlers put on a show to rip through Australia's batting line-up on Day 2 of the Sydney Test, dismissing them for 181 runs and securing a narrow four-run lead in the first innings.
Mohammed Siraj (3/51), Prasidh Krishna (4/42), and Nitish Reddy's (2/32) ran through the Australian batting line-up with their exceptional bowling. Captain Jasprit Bumrah also took two crucial wickets before being forced to leave the field for medical scans. Beau Webster, making his Test debut, impressed with a brilliant 57 runs off 105 balls, emerging as the top scorer for Australia.