LEEDS: Rishabh Pant became the first India batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a Test against England as the tourists strengthened their grip on the series opener at Headingley on Monday.
The swashbuckling wicketkeeper, who made 134 in the first innings, completed a 130-ball century, including 13 fours and two sixes on the fourth afternoon. He was out for 118, caught by Zak Crawley off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir.
Pant’s dismissal ended a stand of 195 with KL Rahul that started with the match in the balance when India were 92-3 in their second innings. India, however, were 298-4 at tea — a lead of 304 runs — with opener Rahul 120 not out.
Pant is just the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of the same match following Andy Flower’s scores of 142 and 199 not out for Zimbabwe against South Africa in 2001.
After a morning session in which India captain Shubman Gill was the only batsman dismissed, Rahul and Pant upped the tempo in their contrasting styles. Right-hander Rahul hit off-spinner Bashir for a textbook cover-drive four, while left-hander Pant nicked Josh Tongue through the vacant second slip position before thrashing him through the covers.
Pant completed an 83-ball fifty before driving Bashir for two soaring sixes in three balls. He had made 75 when he hammered a Bashir delivery to short cover where diving England captain Ben Stokes did well to get a hand to the ball as he tried to complete what would have been a sensational catch.
An England attack missing express quicks Mark Wood and Jofra Archer was largely powerless to stop the run spree as Rahul and Pant took advantage of the old ball on a good batting pitch. Rahul completed a 202-ball century featuring 13 fours with a trademark cover-drive — his ninth century in 59 Tests.
Pant, severely injured in a life-threatening car crash in December 2022, was stuck in the 90s before a quick single took him to a 130-ball century featuring 13 fours and two sixes. India great Sunil Gavaskar, watching from the stands, encouraged Pant to mark this century with the familiar somersault with which he had marked his first-innings hundred, but this time Pant celebrated in more conventional style.
India are strongly placed in the game, with the outstanding Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, leading their attack. But England chased down 378 — their record successful chase — against a Bumrah-led India attack at Edgbaston three years ago.
And the tourists will now want to avoid a repeat of what happened in their first innings at Headingley. Hundreds from Gill, Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal put them on course for a total well in excess of 500, but they were dismissed for 471 after losing their last seven wickets for just 41 runs. England mustered 465 in reply, with Ollie Pope making 106 and Harry Brook scoring 99.
