Pant Delivers Phenomenal Knock as India Stumbles Against Australia

MELBOURNE, January 4, 2025 - Rishabh Pant staged an impressive show of batting skills on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test against Australia, marking one of the most outstanding knocks by a visiting batter in Australian soil. Pant's magnificent innings ended with a resounding slam of 61 off 33 deliveries, replete with six fours and four sixes.

With his team in a precarious position, having struggled to launch a strong start despite losing several top batsmen, Pant proved instrumental in stabilizing the innings. The southpaw's remarkable knock began with a crucial six against Mitchell Starc, which helped him quickly reach his fifty mark off 29 balls - surpassing previous records set by England's John Brown and West Indies' Roy Fredericks.

This scintillating display from Pant earned him widespread praise from former India cricket legends, including the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Krishnamachari Srikkanth. The legendary cricketer couldn't refrain from expressing his delight over Pant's spectacular innings on Twitter.

"Pant! He's just taken the pants of the Aussies!" exclaimed Srikkanth. "What a knock by pant! He's just taken the pants of the Aussies! #INDvsAUS"

Pant's thrilling 61-run knock was eventually cut short when he edged out Pat Cummins, allowing Alex Carey to complete a crucial stumping behind the wickets.

Despite losing Pant, India managed to close on a respectable seven-wicket haul by their tailenders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. However, with Australia leading the series 2-1 and the batting order once more proving vulnerable, the Indian bowling attack will be under intense scrutiny as they seek to overturn the deficit in the final innings.

With a modest total being built, India's hopes of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy now hinge on the timely contributions from their lower-order batsmen.