PANTOMIME ACT
Fearless Rishabh scripts India’s fightback with superb century on first day
Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja’s counter-attacking partnership helped India recover to 321 for six in the post-tea session on day one of the rescheduled fifth Test against England here on Friday.
Pant (146 off 111 balls, 20 fours, 4 sixes) and Jadeja (batting on 68, 9 fours) put on 222 runs for sixth wicket to script India’s fightback. Rain delayed the start of the second session by an hour and England was all over India soon after play resumed, reducing the visitor to 98 for five.
While James Anderson did the damage in the morning, Matthew Potts got the prized wicket of an out-of-form Virat Kohli (11) and a shaky Hanuma Vihari (20) post lunch to put England on top.
Vihari was the first to go after Potts trapped him in front of the stumps with a full ball that darted back sharply. In his following over, Potts sent back Kohli, who dragged one on to his stumps in his half-hearted attempt to leave the ball.
Shreyas Iyer (15 off 11 balls), playing his first Test outside India, started on an aggressive note by collecting three fours off Potts. However, Anderson and the support staff had done their homework on Shreyas, who has had issues against the short ball.
The 39-year-old pacer angled one around the rib cage area that induced a faint edge on way to Sam Billings, who took a brilliant one-handed catch diving full-stretched to his left. India looked down and out at that stage and fresh lease of life was infused in the innings by the two southpaws, Pant and Jadeja.
Pant has made a reputation of taking the attack to the opposition even when chips are down and he just did that in the company of the more experienced Jadeja. Pant made his intent loud and clear by advancing and smashing Anderson down the ground.
Jadeja too played his strokes with the highlight being the straight drive and cover drive off Broad. Put under pressure, Stokes went for the gamble by giving the ball to left-arm spinner Jack Leach.
Pant was more than happy to take the bait and hammered Leach for two fours and a straight six to push India towards 150.
He got to his 10th half-century with a four off Leach towards deep square leg. Earlier, Anderson produced probing spells in the rain-hit morning session to reduce India to 53 for two.
Rain forced the lunch break 20 minutes before time. Anderson had openers Shubman Gill (17 off 24 balls) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13 off 46 balls) caught by Zak Crawley at second slip to give England the advantage after Stokes opted to field at Edgbaston.
India could have been three down had Crawley held on to a tough chance presented by Vihari off Potts.
India 321/6 in 67 overs (R Pant 146, R Jadeja 68 batting, J Anderson 3/52) vs England