England Fights Back After Pant's Century

England Fights Back After Pant’s Century, India Loses Four Wickets Rapidly at Headingley

Headingley, England: Day two of the first Test saw India reassert their dominance early on, largely thanks to a scintillating century from Rishabh Pant. However, a late collapse just before lunch, where India lost four wickets for a mere 24 runs, allowed England to claw their way back into the contest.

The first 90 minutes of Saturday’s morning session were predominantly India’s, with 95 runs added in a menacing fashion. Pant was the chief architect, contributing 69 of those runs with his characteristic audacious stroke play, so much so that even the largely English crowd expressed disappointment upon his dismissal.

Pant’s innings was a flamboyant display of unconventional shots. He greeted Shoaib Bashir’s first delivery with a fall-away paddle over his shoulder and later brought up his sixth century as a wicketkeeper (and third in England, a record for a visiting wicketkeeper-batsman) with a lofted shot over wide midwicket. His knock, which included a personal best of six sixes in a three-figure score, was largely chanceless until he missed a Bashir delivery on 124, forcing him to reclaim his ground on hands and knees. Though Jamie Smith missed the stumping chance, Josh Tongue, previously quiet, trapped Pant lbw when the batsman opted not to play a shot.

Pant’s dismissal followed quickly after Shubman Gill was removed for 147, caught by Tongue off Bashir at deep square leg, ending a formidable 209-run fourth-wicket partnership. The situation worsened for India as Karun Nair, making a comeback after an eight-year hiatus, registered a four-ball duck, brilliantly caught by Ollie Pope at cover. Just before lunch, Shardul Thakur clumsily chased a wide delivery, edging it to Smith.