Day two, session one belongs to England, though Indian batters had a fantastic first hour of play. England staged a comeback with 4 Indian wickets and conceded 95 runs in the 1st session of play, despite Rishabh Pant’s record hundred.
Pant’s Historic Ton and Gill’s Classy Knock Power India’s Charge
Indian captains Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant made their way into the middle to begin Session 1 of Day 2. Brydon Carse opened the bowling for England. Both Pant and Shubman Gill were well settled at the crease. The first hour of play belonged to India, as Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant ensured they got at least one boundary every over to keep the scoreboard ticking.
India’s plan in the morning felt like a counter-attack, as both batters never allowed the England bowlers to settle. As Rishabh Pant neared his century, he started to free his arms, clearing the fence for a few maximums. He reached his century with a huge six and celebrated with his signature somersault. The Indian wicket-keeper made history by hitting 7 Test centuries, surpassing MS Dhoni, who had 6. This was a well-composed innings by Pant, marking his 3rd ton in England.
The partnership continued as Pant and Gill added 209 (301) for the 4th wicket, before Shoaib Bashir finally broke through by dismissing Indian captain Shubman Gill for 147 (227). Gill, looking to bring up his 150 in style, mistimed his shot and offered a regulation catch to Josh Tongue at deep square leg.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant’s Measured Game Wins Sunil Gavaskar’s Praise
England Hit Back with Quick Strikes Before Lunch
Karun Nair was the next batter to join Pant, but his comeback didn’t go as planned. He was dismissed for a 4-ball duck by Ben Stokes, courtesy of a stunning catch from Ollie Pope at cover ending a short and forgettable return for Karun.
Also read: ENG vs IND: Rishabh Pant Overtakes MS Dhoni, Kumar Sangakkara in Elite Test Club
The wickets continued to fall as Rishabh Pant was next to depart, dismissed by Josh Tongue. He walked off to a standing ovation for his brilliant 134 (178), which included 12 fours and 6 sixes. With six balls left before lunch, Ben Stokes struck again to dismiss Shardul Thakur and claim his fourth wicket. The teams went to lunch with India at 454/7.
This session belonged to England. While India dominated the first hour, England turned things around after the drinks break, taking 4 wickets in just 13 overs. The session saw 23.4 overs bowled, with India adding 95 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.
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