Fastest fifties for India in Test: When the mighty batting of India failed ahead of the menacing English bowling attack, Shardul Thakur dug extremely close to the heart with a raging blitzkrieg towards the end to propel India to a 191 from 117 for the loss of 6 that featured one of the fastest Test fifties of all time in India’s glittering antiquity.
He conjured a fiery 57 from 36 balls that starred 7 fours and 3 sixes before being bested by Chris Woakes who was the pick of the English bowling slew with four wickets.
En route to his half-century, Thakur racked up an incredible record of becoming the fastest half-centurion in England, beating the one of Ian Botham who managed to score it in 32 balls against New Zealand.
Thakur’s blitzkrieg helped him to rack up the entire affair in a span of just 31 balls, as he thwacked a titanic six to bring his half-century.
In this story, we will take a quick glance at the three fastest Indian half-centurions in the history of Test cricket.
#1 Kapil Dev – 30 balls
This contest ended in a lopsided manner as Pakistan ran roughshod over India with a formidable bowling and batting attack. However, the man to watch out for was the roaring Indian all-rounder, Kapil Dev, who smoked the Pakistani bowlers in a desperate attempt to stall the destruction.
He conjured a 30-ball half-century in the opening innings that culminated into a 53-ball-73 before Sarfraz Nawaz finally got the better of him. He hammered 12 fours and a six in his illustrious innings, only to end up on the losing side as Imran Khan shone brighter than any other stars in that match.
#2 Shardul Thakur – 31 balls
It was a late showdown from Thakur that helped India to remain in contention from a situation that seemed downright rocky. Coming out to bat when India was stationed at 117 for 6, he didn’t believe in holding back and played some relentless strokes to dampen the spirits of the English bowlers.
He racked up his half-century in just 31 deliveries, shattering the record of Ian Botham being the fastest half-centurion in England in the longest format of the game.
#3 Virender Sehwag – 32 balls
England found themselves at the receiving end of Sehwag’s wrath as the Indian opener smashed them inside out in Chennai to reach his half-century in just 32 balls.
Chasing a monumental total of 387, Sehwag and Gambhir gave them the much-needed start. Viru blasted 11 fours and 4 sixes, en route to his blistering 83 from 68 deliveries. Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh played out a match-defining partnership for India to clinch a historic victory.
