Pant helps India to extend advantage before flurry of wickets give England hope

LEEDS, England: Rishabh Pant turned on the style to help India add to their already imposing first-innings total against England on day two of the first test at Headingley on Saturday, before a late flurry of wickets saw the tourists head into lunch on 454-7.

Resuming the day on 359-3, India captain Shubman Gill quickly moved past his highest score in test cricket, and the second highest by a captain in their first test match away from home, supported by the flamboyant Pant.

Pant was sweeping and scooping to his heart’s content, often ending up on his knees, fittingly moving to his seventh test ton with another six into the crowd, celebrated with a forward somersault.

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Gill too tried to up the ante but was caught on the boundary chasing another maximum by Josh Tongue for 147, Shoaib Bashir getting his first wicket having been the source of much of Pant’s joy.

Karun Nair, playing in his first test for India since 2017, did not last long as Ollie Pope took a stunning diving catch off the bowling of skipper Ben Stokes, with Nair departing after only four balls at the crease, without having troubled the score.

Pant eventually fell, trapped leg before wicket by Tongue for 134, before England’s Mister Reliable Stokes struck again from the final ball before lunch, removing Shardul Thakur — who managed just one run — to give home supporters renewed hope ahead of the afternoon session.