(Image source from: x.com/BCCI)
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal shattered the Test cricket record by scoring the quickest team fifty, reaching the milestone in just 18 balls against Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur. After dismissing Bangladesh for 233 runs in the first innings, Rohit and Jaiswal displayed an aggressive approach from the start, hitting the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground. They primarily scored boundaries and sixes, reaching the 50-run partnership in just three overs, surpassing the previous fastest fifty record of 26 balls set by England against the West Indies earlier this year. This was the first time in Test cricket history that a team had scored 50 runs within the first three overs since data collection began in the sport. India's previous fastest team fifty in Test cricket was 5.2 overs, achieved against England in Chennai in 2008.
India's batters demonstrated exceptional speed, reaching a triple-digit score in just 61 balls (10.1 overs), breaking their own previous record. Earlier, they had scored a team century against West Indies in 12.2 overs in 2023. Later in the match, India also set the record for the fastest 150 in Test cricket history, achieving it in 18.2 overs, surpassing their own previous best of 21.1 overs, which they had set against West Indies in Port of Spain in 2023. While England's aggressive batting style in Test cricket has earned them the nickname "Bazball," India's performance against Bangladesh in the first three overs showed that they can adapt their batting approach based on the game's situation. Earlier, India had bowled out Bangladesh for 233 in their first innings on the fourth day of the second Test, with Mominul Haque remaining unbeaten on 107 and Bangladesh scoring their runs in 74.2 overs. Resuming at 205 for 6, Bangladesh added just 28 runs for the loss of four wickets in the post-lunch session.
Bumrah took 3 wickets for 50 runs, while Akash Deep, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Mohammed Siraj combined to take 6 wickets. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja reached the milestone of 300 Test wickets.
