BENGALURU: Rishabh Pant backs his naturally aggressive style of batting and that is a positive sign for the Indian team, vice captain Jasprit Bumrah said on Sunday after stumper's fiery knock helped them set Sri Lanka a massive 400-plus target in the second Test.
Pant on Sunday broke the legendary Kapil Dev's 40-year-old record of fastest Test fifty by an Indian on the second day of the Day/Night match against Sri Lanka here.
The dashing left-hander cruised to his fifty in 28 balls (7x4, 2x6) in the 42nd over of Indian second innings when he hit a Praveen Jayawickrama delivery through the extra cover boundary.
India's first World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev had cracked a 30-ball half-century against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in 1982.
"Rishabh Pant surpasses Kapil Dev to score the fastest 50 by an Indian in Test cricket. Take a bow, Rishabh," posted BCCI in its Twitter handle.
Pant also set a world record for notching up the fastest fifty by a wicketkeeper-batter in Tests, bettering the efforts of Australia's Ian Smith and former India captain MS Dhoni (both scored 34-ball fifty).
Pant, however, could not make it big and got out in the same score and over, giving Jayawickrama a return catch in the final delivery.
Shardul Thakur is the third in the list of fastest Test fifty by an Indian with his 31-ball half-century in the Oval Test against England last year.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has scored a 32-ball 50 against England in Chennai in 2008.
"Not each and everyone (can) play in the same manner. Every individual has a different game-plan, so he has backed his strengths," Bumrah said after day's play.
Bumrah said that Pant is getting more and more experienced with each passing day.
"Not every player in the team will play with the same tempo, 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," said the pacer.
Bumrah himself played a key role in taking control of the second Test with his five-wicket haul, which was his first at home.
"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. But it's always good, 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," he said.
"You won't get flat wickets everywhere you play"
The spin-friendly track made life tough for the Sri Lankan batters even as the Indians negotiated the tough track with aplomb.
Asked what the Indian made out of the track, Bumrah said "no one is complaining".
Bumrah feels that scoring runs on a track like this gives way more satisfaction.
"You always play in different conditions, not every wicket will be same. If there is some help for the bowlers, when you score runs on such a wicket gives you a lot of confidence," he said.
"You will not get flat wickets everywhere you play, so whenever it's a challenge, you are always looking forward to that challenge.
"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 said.