Galle: Rishabh Pant created history during the first India-Sri Lanka Test on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter reached the landmark on Day 4 in Galle when he smashed Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara for a six.
The landmark came during a crucial second-innings knock as India looked to build a commanding target for Sri Lanka. Pant’s six was also significant on a global level. He became only the fourth batter in the 149-year history of Test cricket to reach 100 sixes, following England’s Ben Stokes, New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum and Australia’s Adam Gilchrist.
Pant achieved the feat in his 51st Test, making him the fastest batter to reach 100 sixes in the longest format.
Pant becomes first Indian to hit 100 Test sixes
Pant entered the first Test against Sri Lanka with 97 sixes in Test cricket. He needed three maximums to reach the landmark.
The left-hander added one six during India’s first innings, taking his tally to 98 and equalling West Indies great Chris Gayle’s Test sixes record.
He then produced two more sixes in India’s second innings to complete his century of maximums.
The decisive blow came against Lahiru Kumara. Pant struck the Sri Lankan pacer over the boundary, taking his Test six tally to exactly 100.
The achievement moved him beyond every Indian batter who had played Test cricket before him.
Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma are India’s joint second-highest six-hitters in Test cricket, with 91 sixes each.
Pant has now established a new benchmark for Indian Test batting.
Only fourth batter in Test history
Pant’s record is not limited to Indian cricket.
Only three batters had previously reached 100 sixes in Test matches.
England’s Ben Stokes leads the list with 138 sixes, followed by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum with 107.
Pant has now joined McCullum and Stokes, along with former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist, who also finished his Test career with 100 sixes.
The four players have something else in common: all have been renowned for aggressive batting approaches.
Pant’s entry into this group is particularly notable because he has played substantially fewer Tests than the other three.
Pant is the fastest to 100 Test sixes
The speed at which Pant reached the landmark makes the achievement even more remarkable.
Pant completed his 100 sixes in his 51st Test, comfortably beating the previous record.
Ben Stokes had reached the mark in his 82nd Test, meaning Pant achieved it 31 matches earlier.
Pant has also needed the fewest deliveries to hit 100 sixes.
Least deliveries for 100 Test sixes
| Batter | Deliveries |
|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | 4,918 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 6,578 |
| Ben Stokes | 9,042 |
| Brendon McCullum | 9,756 |
The numbers underline just how frequently Pant has used the aerial route during his Test career.
He has required only 4,918 deliveries to reach 100 sixes, significantly fewer than Gilchrist, who previously held the fastest mark by deliveries.
Pant’s six-hitting rate stands out
The difference becomes even clearer when sixes are considered alongside the number of deliveries faced.
Pant has hit a Test six approximately every 49.2 balls, according to the statistics accompanying the landmark.
Stokes has managed a six every 90.05 balls, while McCullum’s rate was one every 93.39 balls.
Gilchrist’s figure stood at 67.92 balls per six.
This puts Pant in a different category when it comes to six-hitting frequency.
His willingness to attack bowlers has been one of the defining characteristics of his Test career.
A milestone achieved with calculated aggression
Pant’s 100th six was not simply the result of reckless hitting.
During his second innings in Galle, the 28-year-old displayed considerable patience before reaching the milestone.
Sri Lanka used short-pitched bowling against him, with Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara testing Pant with bouncers.
Pant did not attempt to attack every short delivery.
Instead, he left several balls outside his scoring areas and waited for opportunities to score.
His approach allowed him to accumulate runs while limiting unnecessary risks.
The strategy eventually paid off when he found the boundary regularly before clearing it for his historic 100th six.
Pant reached his half-century with the landmark six
The six against Kumara had another significance.
It brought Pant to his half-century off 53 deliveries.
The milestone therefore combined a personal batting landmark with one of the most important statistical achievements of his Test career.
Pant’s ability to accelerate while maintaining control has made him an important part of India’s Test middle order.
His second-innings contribution was particularly valuable because India were trying to establish a sizeable fourth-innings target.
Pant handled Sri Lanka’s spin threat carefully
Sri Lanka also attempted to challenge Pant with off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha.
Nuwantha had dismissed Pant in India’s first innings and remained a significant threat in the second innings.
However, Pant avoided taking unnecessary risks against the spinner.
Rather than repeatedly attempting conventional lofted shots, he used the reverse sweep effectively and found boundaries through that option.
His shot selection showed that the six-hitting record does not necessarily come from attacking every ball.
Pant was prepared to change his approach according to the bowler and match situation.
India’s position strengthened during Pant’s innings
Pant’s innings came at an important stage of India’s second innings.
India had lost Dhruv Jurel for just seven runs during the second session.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had also departed early in the innings after being dismissed by Asitha Fernando.
However, KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal provided resistance and helped India maintain control.
At the interval, India had reached 116/4, holding an overall lead of 294 runs.
Pant’s contribution was therefore important not just for the record but also for India’s attempt to set Sri Lanka a challenging fourth-innings target.
Pant moves beyond Sehwag and Rohit
Indian cricket has produced several aggressive Test batters, but Pant’s six-hitting numbers now stand alone.
Virender Sehwag was one of the most destructive opening batters in Test history.
He repeatedly attacked fast bowlers and spinners during an era when India’s Test batting was otherwise heavily associated with traditional technique.
Sehwag finished with 91 Test sixes.
Rohit Sharma later established himself as another prolific six-hitter, particularly after moving to the top of India’s Test order.
Rohit also finished with 91 sixes.
Pant has now moved nine sixes clear of the pair.
The record is particularly notable because Sehwag and Rohit played substantially longer Test careers than Pant has so far.
Pant continues the attacking wicketkeeper tradition
Pant’s record also strengthens his place among the most attacking wicketkeeper-batters in Test history.
Adam Gilchrist had previously demonstrated how a wicketkeeper could transform a Test team’s batting line-up.
Gilchrist was capable of scoring rapidly while also providing high-quality wicketkeeping, making him one of Australia’s most influential players.
Pant has followed a similar template, although his style is distinctly his own.
His unorthodox strokeplay, ability to attack spin and willingness to take on fast bowlers have made him a match-changing player.
Joining Gilchrist in the 100-six club adds another statistical link between the two wicketkeeper-batters.
Pant’s Test career has produced several records
The latest achievement adds to a growing collection of milestones in Pant’s Test career.
He has become one of India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batters overseas and has produced important innings in England, Australia and other challenging conditions.
His ability to score quickly has often changed the direction of Test matches.
That impact has been particularly valuable when India have needed to move from defence to attack.
Pant can alter the scoring rate within a few overs, forcing opposing captains to change field placements and bowling plans.
The record reflects changing Test cricket
Pant’s achievement also illustrates the changing nature of modern Test cricket.
The longest format continues to reward patience and technique, but teams increasingly value batters capable of accelerating scoring.
A player who can score at a high rate can help create opportunities to declare, put opponents under pressure and force results.
Pant’s approach fits that modern strategy.
His six-hitting ability allows India to add runs rapidly without necessarily requiring an extended period of conventional boundary accumulation.
That makes him particularly valuable during the middle and final stages of an innings.
Pant’s record could remain difficult to break
Reaching 100 Test sixes is already rare.
Only four players have achieved the mark across the entire history of the format.
Pant’s record for reaching it in only 51 Tests could prove even harder to surpass.
A future Indian batter would need to combine a long Test career with an exceptionally aggressive scoring rate to challenge Pant’s record.
The evolution of Test cricket could make such performances more common, but the physical and tactical demands of the format remain significant.
Stokes remains well ahead on total sixes
Although Pant is now level with Gilchrist on 100 Test sixes, he still has a considerable distance to cover to reach the top of the all-time list.
Ben Stokes currently leads with 138 sixes.
McCullum sits second with 107, meaning Pant needs eight more maximums to move into second place.
Given his current rate of six-hitting, Pant could potentially continue climbing the rankings if he remains a regular member of India’s Test side.
His immediate target will be McCullum’s 107.
India’s Test campaign gains another talking point
Pant’s record has added another major talking point to India’s ongoing Test campaign.
India are competing in the World Test Championship cycle leading towards the 2027 final, making every Test increasingly important.
The team’s ability to produce aggressive runs can be a crucial factor in securing results.
Pant’s presence gives India an additional attacking option in the middle order.
If he can combine his boundary-hitting ability with consistent run-scoring, he could play an important role in India’s push during the championship cycle.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept Pant under pressure
Despite Pant’s eventual milestone, Sri Lanka’s bowlers did not allow him an easy passage.
Fernando repeatedly tested him with short-pitched deliveries, while Kumara maintained pressure with pace.
Nuwantha also bowled a disciplined spell and had already found success against Pant earlier in the match.
Pant’s response was important.
Instead of allowing the bowling plans to dictate his approach, he adjusted his shot selection.
He left deliveries that were difficult to attack, used the reverse sweep against spin and waited for scoring opportunities.
That combination of patience and aggression eventually produced both his half-century and his 100th Test six.
A landmark moment for Indian cricket
Pant’s six against Kumara will now be remembered as one of the defining moments of his Test career.
Indian cricket has produced some of the world’s greatest boundary hitters, but no Indian batter had previously reached 100 sixes in Tests.
Pant has now achieved what even Sehwag and Rohit could not.
The fact that he has done it in just 51 Tests makes the achievement even more significant.
It also reinforces his status as one of the most attacking batters of his generation.
Conclusion
Rishabh Pant has created history in Galle by becoming the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. He reached the milestone during India’s second innings against Sri Lanka on Day 4 of the opening Test, smashing Lahiru Kumara over the boundary.
Pant is now only the fourth batter in Test history to reach 100 sixes, joining Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Adam Gilchrist. More remarkably, he achieved the feat in his 51st Test, making him the fastest batter to reach the landmark.
His record is also built on an extraordinary rate of attacking play. Pant needed only 4,918 deliveries to hit his first 100 Test sixes, comfortably ahead of Gilchrist’s 6,578 deliveries. His six came approximately once every 49.2 balls.
For India, the achievement represents another milestone in Pant’s remarkable Test career. For the batter himself, it is evidence of an aggressive approach that has made him one of the most distinctive wicketkeeper-batters in modern cricket.
With McCullum on 107 sixes and Stokes leading with 138, Pant now has an opportunity to climb even higher on the all-time Test sixes list.