 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 in Tests...
Team India is on a roll.
After scripting a record-extending 18th consecutive Test series victory at home in the opening Test against Bangladesh last week, India created history on day four of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur by smashing the fastest team fifty and the fastest team hundred in Test cricket.
The team posted 50 runs on the board in just three overs with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal giving India an explosive start after the bowlers dismissed Bangladesh for 233 just after lunch.
Rohit (23 off 11) and Jaiswal (72 off 51) had their feet on the pedal from the get-go as Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed were taken to the cleaners. Mahmud gave 22 runs off his 2nd over as India put 50 on the board.
India's fastest fifty record surpassed England who reached 50 runs in 4.2 overs during a Test match against the West Indies at Trent Bridge in July.
Rohit was soon bowled by spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but Jaiswal continued to go on the attack.
He then smashed Mehidy for a four and a six and then went after Taijul Islam reaching 48 off just 26 balls. He failed to break Rishabh Pant's record for the fastest fifty by an Indian in Tests but raced to his fifty from just 31 balls -- the fourth fastest by an Indian in Tests.
At one point India were batting at 10 runs per over as they reached 90 in just 9 overs.
India then got the other record of fastest 100 by a team in Tests when Jaiswal hammered Mahmud for a four as India went past 100 in 10.1 overs.
The previous record also belonged to India, who had got to the 100-run mark in 12.2 overs against the West Indies in Trinidad in 2023.
Jaiswal was bowled four overs later after a quickfire 72 from 51 balls, having hit 12 fours and two sixes.
India went into the tea break on Day 4 on 138/2 in 16 overs at a run rate of 8.62, trailing Bangladesh by 95 runs.
After the tea break, India continued in the same vein.
Shubman Gill was dismissed two overs after tea after he holed out in the deep for 39 off 36 balls, but Virat Kohli kept India's momentum going.
He survived a run-out but off the very next ball off the 19th over, he pulled the ball fine for a four to take India past 150 in 18.2 -- another milestone that being the fastest 150 by a team in Test cricket.
Once again, India bettered their own record when they reached 150 in 21.1 against West Indies in Trinidad last year.
There was more to come from Kohli, who after the fall of Rishabh Pant, kept India's scoring rate high in partnership with K L Rahul.
Rahul also played with a positive intent and the duo kept the scoreboard rotating while finding the boundaries to complement the running between wickets.
Kohli then launched Taijul Islam for a six over long-off and in no time India got to 200, this time in just 24.2 overs, the fastest 200 by a team in Test cricket!
Before this, Australia held the record for the fastest 200 in Tests when they got the score in 28.1 overs in a match against Pakistan in Sydney in 2017.
Kohli and Rahul took to the attack against spinners Taijul and Shakib Al Hasan, smashing them for maximums and creaming them for boundaries.
Kohli was removed by Shakib for 47 in the 30th over but India soon went on to better another record.
India went past 250 in 30.2 overs -- the fastest by a team in Test cricket. Back in 2022, 'Bazballed' England had hit 250 in 33.6 overs against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Cricket statistician Rajneesh Gupta provided some perspective to the record-breaking run in Kanpur, tweeting: 'Just to clarify, where 8-ball overs were in use, they have been converted to 6-ball overs to put things into perspective...'