Rishabh Pant finally had a breakthrough performance during the pink-ball practice match against the Australia A team in Sydney when he struck a 73-ball century.  

The wicket-keeper batsman hit nine fours and six sixes on his way to the 100-run mark, not sparing any of the well-acclaimed bowlers from Down Under and made sure he’d reach the triple-digits in the final over of Day 2.

Ahead of the ultimate six deliveries, Pant was sitting at an unbeaten 81 but switched gears, hammering 22 more runs, including four fours and one maximum, to end the day on an unexpectedly good note. 

INTERVIEW : "This has been a confidence booster for me." 🔝

Watch @RishabhPant17 reflect on his & #TeamIndia's performance in the pink-ball tour game against Australia A - by @Moulinparikh

Full interview ️ https://t.co/kwfLCMuHDp pic.twitter.com/Owme4y1qhx

“When I went out to bat a lot of overs were left, so (Hanuma) Vihari and I wanted to build a good partnership. We wanted to bat as much as possible. I was just trying to give myself as much time as possible and slowly I started to develop confidence,” Pant said according to the official BCCI website. 

“As I approached my century, I realised I needed some 20-odd runs [I think] to get it. My first reaction was that I won’t be able to get it tonight. When the first ball hit me on my stomach, it made me angry. That’s when I said to myself ‘Now, I have to try going for a couple of shots,’ he continued.

“Vihari came and told me ‘the century can be completed; you should try to go for it. Else, bat tomorrow and get there without any rush. I said ‘I’ll try. If I can get it, well and good. In the flow, the bowler kept bowling and I kept hitting,” he added. 

Struggling to have an impact on the field in both red and white ball cricket for almost a year, Pant’s century could not have come at a more optimistic time as the Men in Blue look to face the senior Australian side in a four-Test series starting from December 17.

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