Leeds– Commanding centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have put India in firm control of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, extending their lead over England to 304 runs by tea on Day 4 at Headingley.
At the break, India stood at 298/4 in 75 overs during their second innings, with 145 runs scored in the afternoon session alone. The Indian pair capitalized on a worn-out ball and an increasingly idea-starved English bowling attack.
Rahul remained unbeaten on a composed 120 — his ninth Test century, which included 15 boundaries. Pant, in contrast, played an aggressive innings, smashing 118 runs with 15 fours and three sixes, registering his eighth Test ton. The pair’s 195-run stand revived memories of their previous hundred-run partnership at The Oval in 2018.
Pant made history by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper — and just the second in the world after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower in 2001 — to score centuries in both innings of a Test match outside India. He also became the fifth Indian batter overall to achieve this milestone in overseas Tests.
Instead of his signature handspring celebration, Pant opted for the “Dele Alli” celebration, popularized by the British footballer. When former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, watching from the media center balcony, urged him to bring back the handspring, Pant smiled and gestured, “next time.”
As the third session loomed, India looked poised to pile on the runs with Rahul and Karun Nair at the crease and the second new ball due soon.
Pant began the session with a flurry of boundaries off Josh Tongue and brought up his half-century with a brace. He then launched two huge sixes off Shoaib Bashir before pulling Brydon Carse for another four. Rahul played the anchor role, rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries, reaching his century with a crisp drive for two runs through cover.
Pant stayed patient during a 22-ball stretch to reach his hundred, resisting temptations outside off stump from Bashir and Joe Root. Upon reaching the milestone with a cut through deep point, he celebrated with a hug from Rahul and a quiet moment of gratitude, raising his bat to acknowledge the crowd.
Pant continued his assault with a four, six, and another four off Root before miscuing a slog-sweep to long-on, falling to Bashir. Rahul and Nair responded by striking a boundary each to carry India’s lead past 300 before tea.
Brief Scores:
India 471 & 298/4 in 75 overs (KL Rahul 120, Rishabh Pant 118; Brydon Carse 2/62, Ben Stokes 1/40)
England 465 in 100.4 overs (Ollie Pope 106; Jasprit Bumrah 5/83)*
India lead by 304 runs (Source: IANS)
