Pant fastest to 100 sixes as India set Sri Lanka 372 to win first Test

Rishabh Pant became the fastest player to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket and helped India set Sri Lanka a stiff target of 372 to win the first match in Galle on Tuesday.

India were bowled out for 193 on day four and with four sessions left in the game, on a turning track, the tourists look favourites to go 1-0 up in the series.

Fast bowler Asitha Fernando finished with figures of 4-31 to wrap up the Indian innings late into the second session and tea was taken.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant entertained the crowd with some big hitting, smacking 66 off 69 deliveries with eight fours and two sixes.

The swashbuckling left-hander became the fastest batsman to 100 sixes, doing it in 89 innings, surpassing Australia’s Adam Gilchrist (130 innings).

Devdutt Padikkal, who hit 167 in the first innings, made 44.

He walked in to bat in the first over after Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a third ball duck.

Padikkal was involved in a 65-run stand for the second wicket with K.L. Rahul, who made 35.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals but Pant’s knock kept India in the driver’s seat.

Dinesh Chandimal, who hurt himself while fielding when he hit his head on the ground, has been ruled out of the remainder of the game.

Uncapped Pasindu Sooriyabandara was named the concussion substitute.