Wicketkeeper's blazing 146 stuns England; 222-run partnership with Jadeja takes India from 98/5 to 338/7 on Day One
Oval, Sydney, Gabba, Motera, Newlands, Edgbaston. The footprints of Rishabh Pant's freakish genius are fast adorning some of world cricket's most iconic venues. Friday was Edgbaston's turn to see why this young man from Delhi has become box office in Test cricket.
Coming in at 64/3 after Ben Stokes won the toss and put India in, the ball seaming around under angry, dark skies and an all-time great in James Anderson putting on a seam bowling clinic, Pant went on to score the fastest hundred by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, getting there in only 89 balls. The hundred came courtesy a heart-stopping dive to complete the second run just an hour after tea, prompting coach Rahul Dravid in the dressing room to let out a full-throated scream.
Punching Stuart Broad off the back foot, essaying the falling lofted drive off Jack Leach, carting him one-handed over long-on, reverse scooping Anderson over the slips and pulling Matthew Potts behind square and on-driving him between mid-on and mid-wicket, Pant's wagon wheel on Friday will show that he targeted every area of this iconic venue in Birmingham.
While enterprise and courage were the underlying theme of his innings, don't underestimate the thought and steel behind the effort. He started batting a couple of feet outside his crease to deny the bowlers the metronomic length they had hit, ran urgent singles when there was a right-hander at the other end and defended resolutely when the good balls came along.
1/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant gave Ben Stokes' England a taste of their own medicine with a superb counter-attacking century as India recovered from a top-order collapse to 338/7 at stumps on Friday's opening day of the Covid-delayed fifth Test. (Getty Images)</p>
2/10:146 off 111 balls
<p>James Anderson and Matthew Potts reduced India to 98/5 at Edgbaston after Stokes won the toss under overcast skies before Pant responded with a brilliant 146 off just 111 balls. (Getty Images)</p>
3/10:222-run stand
<p>Pant hit 19 fours and four sixes while dominating a partnership of 222 with Ravindra Jadeja, (83*) at stumps. (Getty Images)</p>
4/10:One-handed six
<p>Pant was especially severe on Jack Leach, swinging himself off his feet while slogging a four and later driving the left-arm spinner one-handed for six. (Getty Images)</p>
5/10:Jack Leach
<p>Leach, fresh from a 10-wicket haul and the player award in the third Test against New Zealand, conceded an expensive 71 runs in nine wicketless overs. (AP Photo)</p>
6/10:Joe Root
<p>Part-time off-spinner Joe Root succeeded where the frontline bowlers had failed when Pant edged a drive to Zak Crawley at slip. (Getty Images)</p>
7/10:Pant's 5th hundred
<p>It was the end of a double century partnership that lasted a mere 39 overs, with Pant's hundred his fifth in 31 Tests and third against England. (Getty Images)</p>
8/10:Matthew Potts
<p>Matthew Potts, who only made his international debut against New Zealand, had earlier added to his growing reputation by removing Virat Kohli for 11. (Getty Images)</p>
9/10:Hanuma Vihari
<p>Potts took two wickets for five runs in seven balls to reduce India to 71/4. (Getty Images)</p>
10/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Potts had Hanuma Vihari plumb lbw for 20 before he induced Kohli to play on to his stumps. (Getty Images)</p>Once he was set and the sun came out, he unleashed his full fury on England, whose newfound all-out aggression didn't account for a circuit breaker that could slow things down.
By the time he fell for 146 (111b, 19x4, 4x6) to a widish teaser from Joe Root, 35 minutes before stumps, India had wrested the advantage from the hosts despite Shardul Thakur's dismissal for one by Stokes. They ended at 338 for 7.
That was also because of Ravindra Jadeja 82* (163 balls, 10x4), in whom Pant found a partner who mirrored his thought process. Jadeja, preferred as the spin-bowling all-rounder over R Ashwin, underlined why the team leans in his direction with a composed half-century built on sound defence and the ability to bat for long periods.
Pant and Jadeja rescued India from 98 for 5 and added 222 after the top-order once again flattered to deceive.
Shubman Gill, after starting off promisingly with four crisp boundaries, lazily hung his bat to a seaming length ball on fifth stump off Anderson and Zak Crawley at second slip swallowed the chance.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who opened with Gill, left deliveries on length expertly. Anderson though kept bowling it further up and got one, that he bowled slightly wide of the crease, to rear up from a length which the batsman could only edge to Crawley again at second slip. It was the 12th time in 24 games that Anderson had dismissed Pujara.
Kohli though was still the big fish for England and after showing exemplary judgement outside off stump, a moment of indecision forced him to withdraw his bat later than usual to Potts and he played on.
