India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant achieved a huge milestone in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka, played in Galle on day 4 on August 18, 2026. Pant made a sublime 66 in India’s second innings, as India made 193 runs and finished with a lead of 371 runs.
Pant had gotten a start in the first innings as well, scoring 39 runs off 62 balls as India posted 462 runs after choosing to bat first. He then kept brilliantly in Sri Lanka's first innings, where they scored 284 runs.
India needed quick runs in the second innings, and KL Rahul (35) and Devdutt Padikkal (44) laid the foundation for the assault. Rishabh Pant continued the momentum and slammed 8 fours and 2 sixes in just 69 balls for his 66 runs, before he was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara.
Pant reached his fifty in 53 balls, hitting Kumara for a six. Kumara went full and angled the ball into the left-hander, but Pant got inside the line, got underneath it, and pulled it over long leg for a maximum, not only bringing up his fifty, but also completing his 100 sixes in Test cricket.
Pant became only the fourth batter in Test history to hit 100 sixes, joining Australia legend Adam Gilchrist (100), New Zealand great Brendon McCullum (107) and former England all-rounder Ben Stokes (138).
Rishabh Pant became the fastest batter in Tests to reach 100 sixes in the format and also became the first Indian and Asian batter to achieve this feat.
Pant achieved it in just his 89th innings, 41 innings fewer than the previous record-holder Gilchrist. Stokes took 151 innings to hit his 100th six, while McCullum reached the mark in his 170th.
Pant also needed the fewest deliveries to reach 100 Test sixes, getting there in just 4,918 balls. Adam Gilchrist had taken 6578 balls, Ben Stokes took 9042 balls, and Brendon McCullum took 9756 balls to achieve the milestone.
India was bowled out for 193 runs in the second innings, finishing with a lead of 371 runs. Sri Lanka will need 372 runs to win the Test.
A team has only once successfully chased a target of more over 300 in a Test at Galle. Pakistan accomplished the feat in 2022, chasing down 342 with four wickets remaining.
