INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
England bagged quick wickets after Rishabh Pant became the third centurion of the innings © Getty
Rishabh Pant lit up Headingley on the second day getting to his seventh Test ton, the most by an Indian wicketkeeper surpassing MS Dhoni. And with that it also continued India’s strong batting performance in the first innings of the first Test in the series. But England hit back in the second half of the session, picking four wickets to peg India back.
Pant had the license to break free, given the base that India had already built up. The pitch or the conditions had not changed much, allowing for more free-flowing strokeplay from both overnight batters. Shubman Gill got going with a glorious off drive in the second over of the day but Pant was catching up soon. His first three boundaries on Day 2 all came off Brydon Carse, and he began to open up more as the offspinner Shoaib Bashir came into the attack. He greeted him with a paddle for four before mowing him over midwicket for six in the same over. That took him into the nineties.
The hundred came with another swept six off Bashir bringing about a stylish hundred, and a somersault to celebrate. Another six followed in the same over which teased the long off fielder for a bit before he palmed it over while running back. But it signaled Pant’s intentions in switching gears with India also going past the 400-run mark.
But the session was a tale of two halves. In the first hour, India managed 53/0 but in the second lost four wickets for 42 runs allowing England back with a sniff.
Gill, meanwhile, was coasting towards the milestone of 150 but just three runs short of it, he miscued a slog-sweep off Bashir to be caught at deep square leg. It ended a thrilling 209-run stand for the fourth wicket. And one brought two as comeback man Karun Nair’s stay ended in a blob being caught by a leaping Ollie Pope at short cover off Stokes. Inbetween, Pant kept going smoking Bashir for another six and nearly being stumped going for one more, and saved only because of a fumble by Jamie Smith.
But Pant’s luck did not last long, England found some movement with some clouds coming in. That brought about a few nervy moments before he was trapped LBW shouldering arms. The review didn’t save him either but it provided an opening for England. Stokes grabbed it with both hands adding Shardul Thakur to his kitty at the stroke of lunch.
Brief Scores: India 454/7 (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134, Yashasvi Jaiswal 101; Ben Stokes 4-66) vs England.
© Cricbuzz
