Pant, Rahul tons power India before England fight back at Headingley
LEEDS: Generational talent Rishabh Pant overcame a moment of self-reproach to etch his name in cricketing history, becoming only the second wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. His 118 off 140 balls, combined with KL Rahul's composed hundred, helped India set England a challenging 371-run target in the series opener at Headingley on Monday.
Pant, ever the audacious stroke-maker, formed a commanding 195-run partnership with Rahul for the fourth wicket, propelling India to 364 in their second innings before a late collapse handed the momentum back to England. At stumps, the hosts had reached 21 without loss, with openers Ben Duckett (9*) and Zak Crawley (12*) reducing the target to 350.
India's innings, marked by brilliance and frailty, unravelled in the final session after the dismissals of Rahul and Pant. The latter's century was reached in typical flair, with The Beatles' Hey Jude playing softly in the background as he pushed a single to reach his milestone — becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score two hundreds in a Test in England, and only the second globally after Zimbabwe's Andy Flower.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Season's main goal is Tokyo World Championship: Neeraj Chopra
Unwilling to put himself under pressure of regular 90m throws, Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra says he has a good feeling about Tuesday's Golden Spike Athletics meet here as he builds up for his ultimate goal this year — a top finish at the World Championship in Tokyo. Chopra defeated Julian Weber to win the Paris Diamond League with a throw of 88.16 m last week. The two-time Olympic medallist said with Czech great Jan Zelezny by his side as his coach and with his own determination, he is confident of good results. The 27-year-old is riding high on his maiden 90m-plus throw that he achieved in the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha. 'I am really happy to work with such a great athlete and coach. I've already thrown 90m this year after a little bit more improvement in technique. So let's see when it comes next time but I am ready. Recently we've done good training in Nymburk (Czech Republic) so I'll do my best here in Ostrava,' he said. 'Main goal for the season is obviously World Championships in Tokyo,' added the Haryana lad who won a gold at the previous edition of the biennial showpiece. Chopra said a part of his excitement for Tuesday's event comes from watching on TV greats like Usain Bolt compete here in the past. 'When I was a kid, I watched a lot of videos and photos of athletes like Usain Bolt competing here. I came last year but I didn't compete because of injury. 'Now I feel good, but I don't want to put any pressure on myself for 90 m. But I'll try really hard,' he said. The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21 this year. Chopra, who won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver in 2024 Paris, spoke highly about his coach Zelezny. 'When I competed at the Diamond League in Doha, there were a lot of Indian people who wanted to take pictures with Jan. And they are sometimes... very intense so I was a bit worried about him. But he left for the hotel quickly,' he said. Besides the World Championships, Chopra is also excited about the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw meet to be held in Bengaluru on July 5. 'This will be my first really serious competition in India with international athletes, on July 5. I still have to manage a lot of things before competition but it will be a good experience,' he said. 'So now it would not be good if I said no to people. And I'm happy that now in India people recognise other sports than cricket,' he added. Talking about his gold-winning throw in the Paris Diamond League, Chopra said he is happy with the effort despite not being able to touch the 90m mark. Chopra's coach Zelezny was also quite satisfied with the progress of his ward. 'I am happy about the situation. It's important for javelin and throws in general, as athletics is not only about sprints. Neeraj opened the doors to other countries; it's great for our sport,' he said.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'Blockbuster finish waiting': KL Rahul responds to England's bold claim about result on final day
India opener KL Rahul has said that a result is certain on Day 5 of the Headingley Test, responding to England's bold claim. He said that India will take all 10 wickets and win the match. However, the match is evenly poised going into the final day with England needing 350 to win and India needing 10 wickets. read more India opener KL Rahul said the team is confident about taking all 10 England wickets on the final day of the first Test at Headingley. India have set England a big target of 371 runs, and Rahul believes a result is surely coming. India were bowled out for 364 in their second innings, with Rahul scoring 137 and Rishabh Pant smashing 118. The duo added 195 runs for the fourth wicket and took India to a strong position after losing captain Shubman Gill early in the day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Blockbuster finish waiting tomorrow. There's definitely going to be a result. That's what England have said openly and it gives us the opportunity to pick up 10 wickets,' Rahul said at the press conference after stumps on Day 4, referring to England pacer Josh Tongue's comments after the close of play. England say they will go for chase Tongue, who took 3 wickets for 72 runs, said the mood in the England camp was positive and that they would go for a result tomorrow. This England team is known for its aggressive style of play, which they like to call 'Bazball.' England have shown in the past that they can chase big totals even on the last day of a Test match. 'Go for the chase tomorrow, that's the messaging in the dressing room. There's no reason we can't chase it down. Hopefully, we won't be in a situation to play out for a draw. See where we are at lunch and calculate,' he said. Rahul believes batting won't be easy on Day 5 Meanwhile, Rahul said the pitch was tricky and could get tougher on Day 5. He also admitted that India were looking for a bigger lead but couldn't get there. India collapsed from 333/5 to 364 all out, losing five wickets for just 31 runs, including three ducks in the lower order. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Today was a tricky wicket. Tomorrow it might break even more. We'll give ourselves the best chance to pick up the 10 wickets. At tea, there was a little bit of discussion on how much we need, or whether to give them (England) a few overs to bat and pick up a few wickets. Ideally, we would have wanted about 40 runs more,' he added. With England needing 350 more runs and all wickets still in hand, and India needing 10 wickets, fans can expect a thrilling final day at Headingley on Tuesday.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Rishabh Pant Equals Record Of Hitting Most Sixes In A Test In England
Last Updated: Pant hammered 12 fours and 6 sixes for India in the first innings of the first Test and smacked 15 fours and 3 sixes in the second innings. Rishabh Pant scored 134 runs from 178 balls for India in the first innings of the first Test currently underway at Headingley in Leeds and amassed a total of 118 runs from 140 balls in the second. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter hammered 12 fours and 6 sixes in the first innings and smacked 15 fours and 3 sixes in the second innings on Monday (June 23). A total of nine sixes in the ongoing match helped Pant equal the record of hitting the most sixes in a Test match played in England. Before Pant, Andrew Flintoff (vs Australia in Edgbaston in 2005) and Ben Stokes (vs Australia at Lord's in 2023) also scored nine sixes in a Test match in England. Pant, who is India's leading six hitter in the World Test Championship (WTC), overall has hit 82 maximums in 44 Test matches played so far. Apart from equalling the record of hitting the most sixes in a Test match played on English soil, Pant broke many other batting milestones as well on Monday. He became the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter to score twin centuries in a Test match. Before him, only one wicketkeeper (Andy Flower of Zimbabwe) has scored twin centuries in a Test match. Pant is the overall seventh Indian batter, after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (3 times), Rahul Dravid (2 times), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma, to score twin centuries in a Test match. Pant has scored four Test centuries in England, which also helps him equal Matt Prior's record of most Test centuries in England by a wicketkeeper-batter. Keepers with most 100s in Tests In the list of wicketkeeper-batters with the most Test centuries, Pant, who has crossed the 100-run mark eight times, is only behind Adam Gilchrist (17) and Flower (12). First Published:
