5th Test: Phenomenal Rishabh Pant plots India’s battle with game-changing ton on day one Cricket News – Times of India

Birmingham: Rishabh Pant India posted a scintillating 338 for seven in their match against rain-hit England on the first day of the rescheduled fifth Test here on Friday.
At 98 for five, India were staring at the barrel but Pant (146 off 111 balls) made a remarkable change in the company. Ravindra Jadeja (83 off 163) as the two shared a match converting the stand of 222 off 239 balls.
Pant, who had helpless the England bowlers, hit 20 fours and four sixes in his scintillating effort.
Day 1: As it happened
The morning rain meant that only 73 overs could be bowled on the first day.

Having recently faced criticism for his struggles in white-ball cricket, Pant continued his love affair with the red-ball format, scoring his fifth century overall and fourth in overseas conditions.

The conditions and match conditions were against him but he once again dominated it and let the opposition down.
As he could, he danced on the track against the great James AndersonReverse scooped him, but also played traditional strokes, including straight drives and back foot punches, to the fastest century (89 balls) by an Indian wicketkeeper.

In a nervous 90s, he fell to the ground while going over Jack Leach, but still got a boundary and reached three figures in the next over.
Stokes guessed Leach’s chances against Pant, but the move failed miserably as the southpaw collected boundaries at the will of the left-arm spinner. Leach finished the day with figures of 0/71 in nine overs. Pant went ballistic in the last over of Leach’s day, hitting two sixes and as many fours.
With two centuries in England, one each in Australia and South Africa, Pant has already joined the list of best wicketkeeper-batsmen to have come out of India.
This glorious innings of 24 years came to an end with part-timer Joe Root close to playing, giving him much-needed success.
Jadeja, who enjoyed Pant’s audacious stroke from the other end, also played a major role in India’s remarkable recovery and produced some delightful drives along the way.
The evening session was played in bright sunshine after losing overs in the first two sessions due to rain.
Pant and Jadeja’s counter-attack partnership had helped India bundle out 174 for five at tea time, as the visiting team lost their half soon after lunch.
Rain delayed the start of the second session by an hour and England swept across India soon after play resumed.
While Anderson did the damage in the morning, Matthew Potts got the invaluable wicket of out-of-form Virat Kohli (11) and Hanuma Vihari (20) took England to the top after lunch.
After being trapped in front of the stumps by Potts, Vihari was the first to bowl a full delivery which was going fast backwards. In his next over, Potts sent back Kohli, who pulled one over his stump in his half-hearted attempt to release the ball.
Shreyas Iyer (15 off 11 balls), playing his first Test outside India, started off aggressively with three fours off Potts. However, Anderson and the support staff did their homework on Iyer, who had problems against the short ball.
The 39-year-old pacer made an angle around the rib cage area, prompting a faint edge in the way of Sam Billings, who took a brilliant catch diving all the way to his left.
India looked down and out at that stage and inflicted a fresh lease of life in the innings by two southeasters, Pant and Jadeja.
Pant made his intention clear by slamming Anderson to the ground and moving forward. Jadeja also played his strokes, with Broad’s straight drive and cover drive being the main attraction.
Earlier, England’s most decorated pacer Anderson bowled India out for 53 for two in a rain-hit morning session. Lunch break happened 20 minutes ahead of time due to rain.
Anderson had openers Shubman Gill (17 for 24) and Cheteshwar priest (13 of 46) Caught by Jack Crawley at second slip to give England the advantage after Stokes opted to ‘chase’ at Edgbaston.
India could have been three down, had Crowley seized on a tough opportunity presented by Vihari off Matthew Potts.