Pant, Rahul put India in command against England
LEEDS, England :Rishabh Pant became the first Indian to score twin centuries in a test in England and helped the touring side move into a strong position on 298-4 at tea on day four of the first test at Headingley on Monday.
Resuming the day on 90-2, with a lead of 96 runs, India captain Shubman Gill, who made his highest test score in the first innings, chopped onto his stumps to fall for eight, a second wicket for Brydon Carse.
England sensed an opportunity having dragged themselves back into the test on Sunday, but Pant's partnership with KL Rahul swung momentum back in India's favour.
The normally box office Pant started his innings quite conservatively, happy to watch on as Rahul moved smoothly to his century, his ninth in tests.
After smashing two sixes in three balls after lunch, however, Pant hit the accelerator and brought out his typically flamboyant shots to all corners of the ground, with his hundred meaning, for the first time, there have been five Indian centuries scored in one test match.
Pant eventually tried one shot too many, caught chasing another six on the boundary by Zak Crawley for 118, but the damage had been done in a 195-run fourth wicket stand, with Rahul still unbeaten on 120 at tea.
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