Ben Stokes-led England set a world record with the fastest team 50 in the second Test against the West Indies.
The England Bazballers continued their aggressive manner of playing the longest format of the game, setting a global record in the second Test against the West Indies on Thursday. It was on the first day of play at Trent Bridge Stadium in Nottingham that Ben Stokes and company made history as they hit the fastest fifty by a Test side ever witnessed in the game. England, who are known to play the longest format quite aggressively, knocked up the fastest fifty off the visitors in just 4.2 overs.
Opener Ben Duckett scored the most runs to help England achieve a unique achievement in Test cricket. The England opener scored 33 with 14 balls to spare. Premier batsman Ollie Pope helped him out, scoring 16 runs off of 9 balls as Stokes’ England broke their own record. At Oval in 1994, the Three Lions defeated South Africa after attaining 50 runs in 4.3 overs. On the opening day of the Second Test against the Men from the Caribbean, openers Duckett and Pope struck ten boundaries each to ensure that England broke the record.
How far behind is India on this elite list?
It is worthy of notice that England has taken positions one to three on the list of teams with the fastest fifty-minute innings in Test cricket. Against Sri Lanka, England managed its third-fastest 50. During the 2002 Old Trafford Test against the Islanders, England reached the 50-run mark in five overs. Sri Lanka features in the elite list too. The Asian powerhouses managed the fourth-fastest Test history back in Karachi in 2004 when they beat Pakistan by 50 runs in 5.2 overs. Team India is ranked number five on the list. In the Chennai Test of 2008, India defeated England by scoring 50 runs in 5.3 overs. In 2023 at Port of Spain, India also won against West Indies by scoring 50 runs in 5.2 overs.