Rishabh Pant made headlines for his second-fastest Test fifty against Australia on day two of the fifth BGT Test against Australia in Sydney. Pant hit a 29-ball half-century during India’s second innings at the SCG - his quickest Down Under, helping the visitors recover from early blows inflicted by Aussie quick Scott Boland. India ended day two on 141 for six, with a lead of 145.

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A total of 15 wickets fell on day two of the decisive SCG Test, three of each came to the Indian duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, and Australia’s Scott Boland bagged four across several spells in India’s second innings. 

Also read | BGT: Rishabh Pant hits second fastest Test fifty for India at SCG – WATCH

Day two began with all eyeballs on Jasprit Bumrah and Aussie rookie opener Sam Konstas, with the Indian quick dominating him throughout. Bumrah removed Marnus Labuschagne on four before Siraj accounted for Konstas and Travis Head in the same over, putting Australia’s back against the wall. 

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Steve Smith and debutant Beau Webster tried saving the sinking ship but Australia lost Smith shortly before lunch on day two. Though Webster completed his maiden Test fifty in the second session, the wickets kept tumbling at the other end, with Krishna impressing everyone with his tight lines. 

However, the stand-in captain, Bumrah, left the SCG amid an injury scare by then, mounting worry on the Indian fans and the team management. With no Rohit and Bumrah, Virat Kohli took over the captain’s hat, helping seamers wrap up Australia’s innings on 181, four shy of India’s first-inning total.

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Pant entertains SCG 

Before Pant’s entertaining knock cheered everyone up, Yashasvi Jaiswal did the same by smashing four fours to Mitchell Starc in the first over of India’s second innings. He looked dangerous until captain Pat Cummins introduced Boland to the attack, only for the domestic giant to remove both openers with peaches. 

He got rid of Virat, caught in the slip a few overs later, ending King Kohli’s mediocre run Down Under this time.

Entered Rishabh Pant!

The left-handed batter upped the ante, hitting his second-quickest Test fifty, his fastest in this part of the world, entertaining the Sydney crowd.

Cummins ended his brief stay at the crease before Boland returned to pick Nitish Kumar Reddy (on six) for his third successive single-digit score since his maiden Test ton at MCG. 

Australia dropped Ravindra Jadeja close to stumps on day one but still managed to have an edge over the Indians.