Follow UsThe crowd at the Chinnaswamy stadium were enthralled to an absolute masterclass as Rishabh Pant etched his name in the record books to score the fastest fifty by an Indian player in the longest format of the game.
The 24-year old achieved this feat by scoring a half-century off 28 deliveries, surpassing the previous best of 30 balls set by Kapil Dev in 1982 against Pakistan.
In a press conference after the end of the day's play, the vice-captain of the Indian team, Jasprit Bumrah revealed that Pant's aggressive style of batting is a positive sign for the team.
"Not each and everyone (can) play in the same manner. Every individual has a different game-plan, so he has backed his strengths," he said after stumper's fiery knock helped them set Sri Lanka a massive 400-plus target in the second Test.
"Not every player in the team will play with the same tempo, and we understand that. He is still getting more and more experience and learning about this game. That is his plan (attacking) going forward, so that's a positive sign for us," he further added.
The speedster himself played a critical role in helping the Indian team take control of the second Test by scalping his first five-wicket haul at home.
Sharing insights on his performance, the 28-year old said, "It feels good. When you play all three formats, you have to look after your body, and you sometimes miss out on the home Tests. This is the time when I got the opportunity and to be able to contribute towards the team's success is always a great feeling."
The surface on offer in Bengaluru has assisted the spinner from day one, making life difficult for the batters across both sides. However, Bumrah revealed that "No one is complaining" on being asked about the views of the players in the Indian side.
"You always play in different conditions; not every wicket will be the same. If there is some help for the bowlers, when you score runs on such a wicket gives you a lot of confidence. You will not get flat wickets everywhere you play, so whenever it's a challenge, you are always looking forward to that challenge." he said.
"Nobody is complaining about the wicket; yes, everybody is finding a way and looking forward to contribute because they know if they score good runs on a tough wicket, then that will give them a lot of confidence and when they play on a relatively flat wicket that will give them strength. So that is the mood in our camp," he concluded.
After setting a target of 447 runs, the Indian team ended the second day in a dominating position after scalping the prized wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne for a duck in the first over of the innings.
(With inputs from PTI)