Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul centuries set up epic England run chase on day five

Al Jazeera

6 days ago

Another India lower-order collapse gave England a fighting chance of a thrilling cricket victory in the first Test at Headingley, with the hosts 21-0 in their second innings at the close of play on day four, chasing 371 to win.
Josh Tongue, just as he did in the first innings, came to the fore when seeing off the Indian tail, with three wickets in four balls helping ensure the tourists lost their final six second-innings wickets for 31 runs on Monday.
The collapse, which saw India all out for 364, gave the dangerous Jasprit Bumrah the chance to attack England before close of play. But neither opener, Zak Crawley nor Ben Duckett, looked troubled as they repelled the Indian attack until stumps.
Reaching 371 would be England's second-highest successful Test run chase against India, and the second-highest at Headingley, more than the Ben Stokes-inspired heroics on the same ground against Australia in 2019.
'To get them all out and not lose a wicket in the last half hour, Ducky [Ben Duckett] and Zak [Crawley] batted really well,' Tongue told Sky Sports.
'The first session we batted really well, I thought we were unlucky. The message was to hit the pitch as hard as we can. It flattened out in the second session. We just had to stay patient.'
Resuming day four on 90-2 in their second innings, with a lead of 96 runs, India captain Shubman Gill, who made his highest Test score in the first innings, chopped onto his stumps to fall for eight to Brydon Carse.
England sensed an opportunity, having dragged themselves back into the Test on Sunday. But Rishabh Pant's 195-run middle-order partnership with KL Rahul swung the momentum back in India's favour.
Rahul, Pant rally
The normally box-office Pant started his innings quite conservatively, happy to watch on as Rahul moved smoothly to his century, his ninth in Tests, eight of which have come overseas.
After smashing two sixes in three balls after lunch, however, Pant hit the accelerator and brought out his typically flamboyant shots to all corners of the ground, with his hundred meaning, for the first time, that there have been five India centuries scored in one Test match.
Pant eventually tried one shot too many, caught chasing another six on the boundary by Crawley for 118 before Rahul fell shortly after tea for 137, again chopping onto the stumps off the bowling of Carse.
Then came the Tongue-inspired collapse, as the fast bowler took three wickets and the catch that brought about the end of India's innings as the touring side, having lost their final six first-innings wickets for 24 runs, fell apart again.
Bumrah, the number one-ranked Test bowler in the world, who took five wickets in the first innings, immediately grabbed the ball but got very little joy as Crawley remained unbeaten on 12, while Duckett will return for a tantalising Tuesday on nine.
The odds are stacked against England on the final day, but there is hope at least. In 59 Tests when defending totals of over 350, India have only lost once. That, however, was against England in 2022.
'Someone's got to win tomorrow; it will be an interesting day,' Rahul told Sky Sports.
'The wicket is not as easy as the first innings. They won't find it as easy to hit the ball on the rise. Even if they get a big partnership, if we get a couple of wickets, we'll be right in the game.'