Pant's breathtaking fifty keeps India afloat in decisive 5th Test

Pant entrained packed SCG with four monstrous sixes, six boundaries

SYDNEY: Staying true to his aggressive style of play, generational talent Rishabh Pant conjured up a spectacular 33-ball-61 to somehow keep India afloat even as Australia remained in driver's seat in the fifth Test, which is poised for an intriguing finish.

It was largely due to Pant's breathtaking knock that India finished the second day at 141 for 6 for an overall lead of 145. Pant entrained the packed SCG with four monstrous sixes and six boundaries.

His back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Starc into the heritage Ladies Members Stands were for posterity. Pant's knock prevented Indian second innings from falling apart with the visitors' top and lower order struggling to negotiate Aussie attack on a track that was aided seam and bounce.

This was after unheralded bowling duo of Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Nitish Reddy (2/32) complemented Mohammed Siraj (3/51) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) to shoot Australia out for 181.

Virat Kohli (6) and his top-order colleagues found Scott Boland (3/38) too hot to handle. Kohli lost his wicket on outside the off stump line for the eighth successive time in this series.