India’s legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant for his breathtaking knock on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Pant played an explosive inning, scoring 61 runs off just 33 balls in India’s second innings, maintaining a staggering strike rate of 184.

Pant’s fearless approach was highlighted by six boundaries and four towering sixes, leaving the Australian bowlers rattled. His innings came after a more measured knock of 40 off 98 balls in the first innings, showcasing his adaptability and ability to rise to the demands of the game.

Tendulkar took to his official 'X' handle (formerly Twitter) to commend Pant's stunning performance, noting the stark difference in strike rates between Pant and other batters in the Test match.

On a surface where most players struggled with a strike rate of around 50 or lower, Tendulkar was in awe of Pant's aggression. In his post, Tendulkar wrote,

"On a wicket where the majority of the batters have batted at a SR of 50 or less, Rishabh Pant’s knock with a SR of 184 is truly remarkable. He has rattled Australia from ball one. It is always entertaining to watch him bat. What an impactful innings!"

Pant's fifty came off just 29 balls, making it the second-fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter, with the record for the fastest also belonging to Pant, which he set against Sri Lanka in 2022.

India ended Day 2 at 141/6, holding a slender lead of 145 runs. Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian bowling attack put on a fine performance, dismissing Australia for 181 in response to India’s first innings score of 185.