India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant delighted the crowd and his teammates with a scintillating century on day 2 of the ongoing fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India resumed at 24/1 and lost Cheteshwar Pujara fell early for 12, LBW to Jack Leach. Ben Stokes harmed India badly by removing captain Virat Kohli for a duck, caught by Ben Foakes. Ajinkya Rahane made 27 runs before he was caught by Stokes off Anderson, who completed 900 wickets in international cricket, becoming the first Englishman to do so.
Rohit Sharma looked good, playing a patient knock, but fell one run short of a well-deserving half-century,
Leach also took the wicket for R Ashwin for 13 as India languished at 146/6, with England possibly eyeing a first-innings lead. However, it was not to be, as Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar added 113 runs for the seventh wicket to take India past England’s score and earned them a decent lead as well.
Rishabh Pant was particularly brutal on England bowlers as he first took his time and then played his natural game, hitting boundaries at will against both the spinners and fast bowlers. He hit 13 fours and 2 sixes in his 118-ball 101-run knock with India on 259/7.
He was caught by Joe Root off Anderson just after reaching his ton, while Washington Sundar completed his half-century later. India ended day two on 294/7 with Sundar on 60* and Akshar on 11*. India leads by 89 runs.
For England, Anderson with 3/40 was the best bowler, while Stokes and Leach picked two scalps each.
Pant put India in the situation of advantage with his daredevil knock, scoring his third century in Tests and second against England. It was his first century in Tests at home, after making 92 twice against West Indies in the 2018 series and his 91 in the 1st Test at Chennai.
Meanwhile, his knock was enough to frustrate Joe Root and co and was praised by one and all on social media.
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