Rishabh Pant Helps India Take Strong Lead Against England On Day 2
Rishabh Pant hit a defiant 101 to put India in control of the fourth and final Test against England on Friday.
England: 205/10; India 294/7 (Rishabh Pant 101, Washington Sundar batting 60, Rohit Sharma 49, James Anderson 3/40, Jack Leach 2/66, Ben Stokes 2/73)
4th Test: India vs England Day 2 Report
India resumed day 2 at 24/1 with Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease. Spinner Jack Leach took the day's first wicket after trapping Pujara lbw for 17 with the overnight batsman adding two to his score.
Stokes generated pace and bounce at the venue where England lost the previous match inside two days on a viciously turning pitch. A day after his confrontation with Kohli, Stokes sent back the captain for his second duck of the series when he edged a rising delivery to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
Stokes took a sharp catch at second slip to dismiss Rahane for 27 off Anderson on the stroke of lunch.
Sharma and Rishabh Pant added 41 before the former was dismissed leg-before by a Ben Stokes delivery that came in sharply. Ashwin followed soon after.
At 153 for six wickets at tea on the second day of the fourth and final Test, the sparse crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium here was silent with the top six out of the seven Indian batsmen gone and England primed to take lead. There were a few fans who had begun leaving.
Then Pant opened up, taking the bowlers apart. Off-spinner Dom Bess, who was more of a liability, proved to be the most expensive. Even Ben Stokes wasn't spared. The right-arm pace bowling all-rounder had bowled very tightly up until then.
Pant put on 113 for the seventh wicket with Sundar to hit back England. The first 50 of their partnership took 100 balls whereas the second fifty of the stand took just 46 balls. He took 82 balls to reach his first 50, he required 33 balls to reach his second fifty, en route to his third century.
Left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Pant made light of the tough conditions and reached his third Test hundred with a six off Joe Root's spin.
Pant, who smacked Anderson for his 13th boundary with an audacious reverse hit over slips, finally fell to the veteran quick and walked off to a standing ovation.
A complete carnage ensued post-tea as Rishabh Pant (101 off 118 balls, 13x4s, 2x6s) dominated a tiring and limited England bowling line-up. India scored 141 runs in the third session and lost just one wicket, and ended the second day at 294 for seven wickets -- a lead of 89 runs. They still have three wickets in hand. England had made 205 in the first innings.