Rishabh Pant Targets Sehwag’s Six-Hitting Record as India Face South Africa in Crucial Test Series

India and South Africa are set to reignite one of Test cricket’s fiercest rivalries when the two-match series begins on November 14. Scheduled at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens and Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, the contests form part of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle and carry major implications for both sides. India are pushing to consolidate their position on the WTC table, while South Africa look to defend their world title with a strong away performance.

India enter the series with confidence, having drawn 2–2 in England and secured a dominant 2–0 victory against the West Indies earlier in the cycle. Much of that success has been built on the batting brilliance of captain Shubman Gill, who averages nearly 79 this year with five centuries in seven Tests—one of the standout runs of form in world cricket.

Rishabh Pant’s return further strengthens India’s lineup. His fearless approach, combined with the stabilising presence of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in the middle order, gives India depth across conditions. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj headline a potent pace attack, while Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav are expected to thrive on home pitches that traditionally offer turn and bounce.

South Africa, armed with their own formidable pace unit and proven competitive grit, are unlikely to make things easy. Their resilience in Test cricket has long defined the rivalry, raising expectations of a tightly fought series filled with high-intensity sessions and decisive tactical duels.

Indian Milestones to Watch During the Series

161 runs – The number Shubman Gill needs to become the second-fastest Indian to reach 3,000 Test runs. Virender Sehwag holds the record, reaching the milestone in 55 innings.

1 century – If Gill scores one more hundred, he will register the most Test centuries by an Indian in a single calendar year.

4 sixes – Gill needs just four sixes to join an elite group of nine Indian batters with 50 or more Test sixes.

2 sixes – Rishabh Pant requires only two sixes to surpass Virender Sehwag’s record of 91 and become India’s leading six-hitter in Test cricket.

15 runs – KL Rahul is 15 runs away from completing 4,000 Test runs.

10 runs – Ravindra Jadeja needs 10 runs to become only the fourth player ever to score 4,000 runs and take 300+ wickets in Tests. Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, and Daniel Vettori are the only others.

12 wickets – Jadeja also needs 12 wickets to become the fourth-fastest Indian to reach 350 Test wickets.

12 wickets – Kuldeep Yadav is 12 wickets short of 350 international wickets across formats.

With high stakes, historic venues, and multiple records on the line, India vs South Africa promises to deliver compelling cricket. Fans can expect intense battles, standout individual performances, and moments that may reshape India’s trajectory in the World Test Championship.