Team India wicketkeeper completed his maiden half-century in Test match cricket off just 33 balls with 2 sixes and 4 four fours as India declared their second innings on a rain-hit Day 4 at the Queen’s Park Oval at the Port of Spain in Trinidad at 181 for 2 in just 24 overs. Kishan had the third highest strike-rate ever by a wicketkeeper in a Test innings – after Adam Gilchrist and India’s Rishabh Pant.
Gilchrist had a strike-rate of 172.88 during his knock of 102 off 58 balls against England in Perth in the 2006-07 Ashes series while Pant had a strike-rate of 161.29 while scoring 50 off 31 balls against Sri Lanka in a Test last year in Bengaluru. Kishan had a strike-rate of 152.94 during his knock of 52 off 34 balls.
WATCH Ishan Kishan complete his fifty with a six HERE…
That's a smashing way to bring your maiden Test 50*@ishankishan51
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.#INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/WIFaqpoGiD
— FanCode (@FanCode) July 23, 2023
Kishan also had the fourth-highest strike-rate ever by an Indian batter while scoring a fifty in Test cricket. Former India captain Kapil Dev holds the record with a strike-rate of 161.81.
Highest strike-rate in a Test innings for India (min. 50 runs)
161.81 - Kapil Dev vs ENG, Lord’s, 1982
161.29 - Rishabh Pant vs Sri Lanka, Bengaluru, 2022
158.33 - Shardul Thakur vs England, The Oval, 2021
152.94 - Ishan Kishan vs West Indies, Port of Spain, 2023
145.94 - Harbhajan Singh vs England, Trent Bridge, 2002
Team India also created a new world record by maintaining the highest run-rate over the course of their innings (minimum 20 overs) while scoring 181 for 2 with a run-rate of 7.54. India’s declaration meant that West Indies need 365 runs to win the second Test.
Highest team innings run-rate in Tests (minimum 20 overs)
7.54 - 181/2 d – India vs West Indies, Port of Spain, 2023
7.53 - 241/2d - Australia vs Pakistan, Sydney, 2017
7.36 - 264/7d – England vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2022
6.82 - 173/6 – West Indies vs India, Kingston, 1983
6.80 - 340/3d – South Africa vs Zimbabwe, Cape Town, 2005
“It was really special. I knew what the team needed from me. Everyone backed me. Virat (Kohli) backed me and told me go and play your game. Let’s hope we will finish the game tomorrow. It was Virat bhai who took the initiative and told that I should go in,” Ishan Kishan said after stumps on Day 4.
“There was a slow left-armer who was bowling. It was a good call for the team. Sometimes you need to take these calls. We had the plan that we will play 10-12 overs after the rain break and score 70-80 runs. We wanted a 370-380 target. I was at NCA before this. Pant was also there. He knows how I play. We have known each other since under-19 days. I also wanted someone to advise me and luckily he was there to tell me something about my bat positioning,” Ishan Kishan, who is playing in his second Test, added.
“There are so many senior players who keep talking to the bowlers. It should be a good game tomorrow. We need to hit the right areas and important to get early wickets. It was one of my dream to get into the whites. I just wanted to go in and hit every ball. Mostly thankful to my parents who have always supported me,” he felt.
