1st Test: England need 350 more runs on final day after Rahul and Pant hit tons (ld)

Leeds, June 24: England will require 350 runs to secure a victory on the final day of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at Headingley after reaching 21/0 in six overs at stumps on Day Four here on Monday. With all wickets in hand and rain forecast looming around, the match is set up for a blazing finish, as all three results are possible.

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant set up England’s target, emerging as India’s standout batters with knocks of 137 and 118, respectively, as India were bowled out for 364 in 96 overs of the second innings.

While Rahul was at his calm and composed best to top-score with 137, his ninth Test hundred laced with 18 boundaries, Pant was at his scintillating best, after being subdued for a crucial period, to smash 118 – his eighth century in the formal,t, aided by 15 boundaries and three sixes.

Before the 195-run stand between Rahul and Pant happened in Headingley, the duo had hit centuries while being in a partnership at The Oval in 2018. Pant also smashed many records – becoming the first wicketkeeper and fifth batter from India to score two hundreds in the same Test match in overseas conditions.

Pant is now just the second wicketkeeper-batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test after Andy Flower did so in 2001. Interestingly, instead of his trademark handspring celebration, he brought out the one that British footballer Dele Alli has made popular.

But after Pant and Rahul fell, India suffered yet another batting collapse, as they lost their last six wickets for just 31 runs. Once again, Josh Tongue had a major impact in removing India's tail and being England’s standout bowler with 3-72 in 18 overs, with all three of his scalps coming in an over.

In the morning, under overcast skies, Brydon Carse got a big early wicket for England when he got the ball to tail in and Gill, who top-scored with 147 in India's first innings, chopped onto his stumps for eight. Pant was adventurous to begin – surviving an lbw call, thanks to replays showing an inside edge, while a top-edge on a sweep from Carse landed safely in no man’s land at fine leg.

On the other hand, Rahul survived a few plays and misses to bring up his fifty, even as Pant again survived an LBW appeal after trying to unsettle Carse with a fall-over ramp. With the ball moving around and a few deliveries leaping off a length, Rahul showed restraint to weather the storm well while joining forces with Pant, who provided for initial chaos before calming down. Rahul then got a life on 58 when Harry Brook dropped his catch at the gully off Josh Tongue. By then, Pant had tempered his attacking self, including with some positive self-talk caught by stump mic, as he and Rahul ensured India were steady till lunch break arrived.

The post-tea session began with Pant getting three quick boundaries off Josh Tongue, with Rahul getting his runs off Shoaib Bashir. Pant then deliberately edged past a vacant second slip off Tongue, before reaching his fifty with a brace off the pacer.

After flaying Tongue for another boundary, Pant struck Bashir for back-to-back sixes over the bowler’s head and long-on respectively. England called upon Brydon Carse to curb Pant’s scoring, but the keeper-batter pulled him for an authoritative four.

Rahul kept his calm to feast on poor balls, before drilling Bashir through cover for two runs to bring up his ninth Test century off 202 balls, and held up his bat and helmet to soak in the applause from the crowd.

Pant continued to strike boundaries, before taking 22 balls to get his century, as he didn’t give in to the outside off-stump bait from Bashir and Joe Root. Once he cut Bashir through deep point for a single, Pant brought out his more measured celebrations and soaked in the applause from the crowd, before hugging Rahul and thanking the Almighty.

Though Sunil Gavaskar, watching in the media-centre balcony, asked for a handspring celebration, a satisfied-looking Pant gestured with a ‘next time’. Pant then smashed Root for four, six, and four in the very next over, before failing to get the timing right on a slog-sweep and holed out to long-on off Bashir. Rahul and Nair then picked a boundary each to push India’s lead past 300, before the tea break arrived.

The final session began with Rahul and Nair getting five quick boundaries collectively before Carse made the breakthrough as he managed to get some extra bounce and forced the former to chop onto his stumps. One brought two for England as Nair punched a full ball back to Chris Woakes for a simple return catch. After that, Tongue took over to quicken the end of India’s innings – Shardul Thakur nicked behind to first slip, Mohammed Siraj was dismissed for a golden duck through a well-directed bouncer, and Jasprit Bumrah missed a fuller ball while going for a slog and could only see his middle stump being uprooted.

India’s innings ended when Prasidh Krishna holed out in the deep off Shoaib Bashir, as England went off in good spirits. With six overs left to negotiate, England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had a quiet start to the chase, before the former struck back-to-back fours off Siraj, over mid-wicket and backward point respectively.

By the time stumps were called, Crawley and Duckett were unbeaten on 12 and nine respectively, as England got the target down to 350 runs. With some turn and grip available for Jadeja to exploit, England will need to be at the top of their batting game on day five to get another famous win at the venue.

Brief scores:

India 471 and 364 in 96 overs (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Josh Tongue 3-72, Brydon Carse 3-80) lead England 465 and 21/0 in six overs (Zak Crawley 12 not out, Ben Duckett nine not out) by 350 runs

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the cricket article:

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Rahul K.

What a partnership between Rahul and Pant! 🇮🇳 Both showed such different but equally important qualities - Rahul's patience and Pant's aggression. That collapse at the end is worrying though. Hope our bowlers can finish the job tomorrow. #IndvsEng

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Priya M.

Pant is just incredible! Two centuries in a Test match abroad - that too in England where conditions are tough. His maturity is showing now while keeping his natural game. The way he handled Bashir was masterclass. Hope he continues this form in WTC.

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Arjun S.

The tailenders' performance is embarrassing yet again. 31 runs for last 6 wickets? This has been a chronic problem for Team India. We need proper batting practice for lower order if we want to win overseas consistently. Otherwise great effort by top order!

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Sneha R.

KL Rahul proving his worth once again! So elegant to watch. But worried about the weather forecast - hope rain doesn't spoil what could be an epic finish. Jadeja needs to spin some magic tomorrow morning 🤞

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Vikram J.

England still have a chance if they bat well tomorrow. 350 is gettable on this pitch. Our bowlers need early wickets - Bumrah and Siraj should go for the kill in first hour. Exciting Test cricket at its best! 😍

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Neha P.

Pant's celebration was so wholesome! Love how he's bringing his own personality to the game. Also, shoutout to the Headingley crowd for appreciating good cricket from both sides. That's the spirit of the game we love. #Respect

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