Rishabh Pant scored his third Test ton after a string of nineties in recent times to put India into driver’s seat at the end of the second day’s play in Ahmedabad in the ongoing fourth and final Test match. India finally ended day 2 on 294/7 scoring close to 150 runs in the last session of play thanks to Pant’s counter-attacking knock once the new-ball was taken. India lead by 89 runs at stumps with Washington Sundar unbeaten on 60 and given company by Axar Patel on 11.
Team India resumed day 2 on 24 for 1 and added 270 runs throughout the day’s play. However, they did not have the best of starts to their day as England picked up three wickets in the first session. While Rohit Sharma was setting into his innings, England picked up Virat Kohli (0), Cheteshwar Pujara (17) and Ajinkya Rahane (27) in the first session as India headed to lunch at 80/4. Rahane was Anderson’s 900th international wicket as the English legend joined an elite list of bowlers with 900 international scalps.
Resuming post-lunch, Rohit Sharma was joined by Rishabh Pant at the wicket. The duo added 41 runs together before Hitman was undone by a classy inswinging delivery from England all-rounder Ben Stokes. Having top-scored with the bat in the England first innings, Stokes picked the two big wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the Indian innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin then joined Pant at the wicket and added 25 before he was dismissed by Jack Leach who got him caught to Ollie Pope. Both Rohit and Ashwin fell in the second session with Pant going well. He was then joined by Washington Sundar as India went to tea on 153/6 in 62.0 overs.
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Rishabh Pant Lights Up Motera As India Dominate Day 2
In the final session, Rishabh Pant brought up a well-made fifty and with Sundar first forged a fifty-run stand in 100 balls. While the partnership was growing, the English bowlers were starting to get frustrated under the sun at the Motera.
After the 80th over, England skipper Joe Root took the new ball and brought back James Anderson into the attack in search of some reverse swing. Opposite to what he thought, Pant took him on and played two of the most extravagant shots in the same over. He first stepped out and hit him over mid-off for a boundary. In the very next ball, Pant reverse-swept the legendary pacer to the latter’s disbelief. The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman was ultimately dismissed for 101 Anderson just after he got to the three-figure mark.
India scored 141 runs in the final session as they ended on 294/7 with a lead of 89 runs over England’s first innings score.
The England bowlers were made to work extremely hard. They had hardly any energy left by the end of the day’s play. Anderson and Stokes bowled as many as 42 overs together while, Leach bowled just 23. Bess had an off day as he bowled just 15 overs and gave away 56 runs. Root tried to cover up for Bess bowling 14 overs and costing 46 in the process.
India 294 for 7 (Pant 101, Sundar 60*, Anderson 3-40) lead England 205 by 89 runs
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