What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
BENGALURU: Swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who has often landed his team in trouble with reckless batting, lifted India to a respectable 338 for seven after all top five batters fell cheaply with the team tottering at 98 for five on Day 1 of the rescheduled 5th Test against England at Edgbaston. His explosive 146 off just 111 balls helped India reach a strong position on a day when only 73 overs were bowled due to interruption by rain.
The visitors were in a spot of bother at 64-3 when the left-hander came to the crease. The situation further deteriorated as India slumped to 98-5 in 28 overs. But, as is his wont, he remained refreshingly unperturbed and batted freely from the word go.
The 24-year-old began the carnage by jumping out of the crease against James Anderson and creaming him straight down the ground for the boundary. He earmarked the left-arm spinner Jack Leach and pummeled him into submission. In the 37th over of the innings, Pant deftly put him away for a couple of boundaries and then waltzed down the track to tonk him for a straight six.
He notched up his fifty, which came off just 51 balls, by whipping Leach away for a four in the 43rd over. The belligerent batsman ran amok after reaching the half-century and his next 50 runs were clouted off just 38 balls. In the 58th over, he pulled the pacer Stuart Broad for two runs to reach his 5th Test hundred. His 89-ball ton is the third fastest Test hundred by an Indian outside Asia. This is also the fastest Test century by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Pant continued to wreak havoc on England bowlers as he walloped Leach for two more sixes and a boundary in the 61st over. The part-time spinner Joe Root was also flayed for a six but he ultimately got the better of Pant. Pant tried to loft Root but the thick outside edge was pouched by Zak Crawley at the slip.
He and Ravindra Jadeja cobbled up a robust 222-run partnership for the 6th wicket to tow India out of troubled waters. While Pant was going hammer and tongs, Jadeja exhibited sangfroid and willingly played second fiddle to him. The all-rounder opened his account by lofting Leach over mid-on for a boundary and later reeled off a couple of exquisite on-drives with ease. He is still unbeaten at 83.
Earlier, England opted to bowl after winning the toss. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara opened the innings with Shubman Gill. Gill looked in fine as he clipped the seamer Anderson for a four in the first over and later also swatted Broad for a four when the pacer slipped in a short ball. Pujara was extremely circumspect and focused on occupying the crease.
Gill, after whipping out four boundaries, fell for 17 in the 7th over as he stabbed at an Anderson delivery which nipped away slightly after pitching. The outside edge was neatly taken by Crawley at the second slip. Pujara was outdone by a ball which jumped on him unexpectedly, took the outside edge and went straight to Crawley.
Though Hanuma Vihari made 20 runs, he never looked comfortable during his stay and was eventually trapped in front of the stumps by Matty Potts as he played down the wrong line. Potts also chalked up the all-important wicket of Virat Kohli by castling him for just 11. Kohli tried to leave the ball but the inside edge cannoned into stumps.
Shreyas Iyer made a breezy 15 before becoming the third victim of Anderson who plugged away relentlessly and consistently bowled in the corridor of uncertainty. At 98-5, India were in tatters before Pant’s pyrotechnics deflated England’s bowlers.
