Twin centuries lift India to 364, England require 371 to win Headingley Test

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant produced sublime centuries on Day 4 of the first Test at Headingley, guiding India to 364 in their second innings before being bowled out. Their efforts left England with a daunting target of 371 runs to chase down in just over three sessions to win the series opener.

Resuming from their overnight score of 90/2, India suffered an early jolt as captain Shubman Gill was dismissed cheaply by Brydon Carse. However, what followed was a batting masterclass from Rahul and Pant, who stitched together a brilliant 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket, anchoring India’s innings and propelling the visitors into a position of considerable strength.

Rahul was the pillar of India’s batting lineup, having crafted a well-constructed 137 off 247 balls, including 18 boundaries.

At the other end, Pant continued his sensational run of form, backing up his first-innings century with another sparkling hundred. His 118 came off just 140 deliveries and featured 15 boundaries and three towering sixes. With this, Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match.

Despite their dominance, both batters fell while attempting to accelerate the scoring rate, as India looked to set England a challenging total with enough time left to bowl them out. Their dismissals triggered a mini-collapse in the lower order, but the damage had already been done.

India`s innings wrapped up at 364 in 96 overs, setting England a stiff fourth-innings target of 371, that will demand a record-breaking effort on a surface that has begun to show signs of wear. For England, Josh Tongue (3/72) and Brydon Carse (3/80) were the standout bowlers, striking at crucial intervals to contain the Indian charge.

Earlier, England had managed 465 in their first innings in response to India’s 471, led by Ollie Pope’s century and a half-century from Ben Duckett. Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul had been instrumental in restricting the hosts.

Brief scores:

India: 471 and 364 all out in 96 overs (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Josh Tongue 3/72, Brydon Carse 3/80)

England 1st innings: 465 all out

This article first appeared on Mid Day