Day four of the Headingley Test between England and India saw a spectacular display of batting prowess, with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant both notching up centuries. Their combined efforts helped India set England a challenging target of 371 runs to win the first Test of the five-match series.
India resumed their second innings on Day 4 at 90/2, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill at the crease. However, Brydon Carse struck early, dismissing Gill for a well-made 147, after just two runs were added to the overnight score. This brought Rishabh Pant to the crease, and the wicketkeeper-batsman joined Rahul to turn the tide in India's favor.
Rahul and Pant forged a formidable 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket, dominating the English bowlers for a significant portion of the day. Rahul, who missed out on a century in the first innings after scoring 42, made amends with a superb knock of 137. His innings was a blend of solid defense and calculated aggression, as he found the boundary 18 times during his 247-ball stay.
Pant, on the other hand, played with his characteristic flair and aggression. The left-hander reached his half-century off 64 balls and continued to attack the bowlers, displaying his wide array of shots. After reaching the 90s, Pant took 26 balls to get to his century. He eventually reached his century off 117 balls, becoming the second wicketkeeper to score twin centuries in a Test match, joining Zimbabwe's Andy Flower in the exclusive club. Pant's aggressive innings eventually came to an end when he was caught trying to hit Shoaib Bashir for another boundary, but his 118 runs off 140 balls, including 15 fours and 3 sixes, had already put India in a commanding position.
Following the dismissal of Pant, India's innings experienced a familiar collapse. The lower order failed to capitalize on the strong foundation laid by Rahul and Pant, losing the last six wickets for just 31 runs. Josh Tongue was the wrecker-in-chief, ripping through the tail to finish with figures of 3/72. Brydon Carse also took 3/80. India were eventually bowled out for 364, setting England a target of 371 to win.
England began their chase cautiously, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett seeing off the remaining overs of the day. At stumps, England were 21/0, needing another 350 runs on the final day to win the Test.
The Headingley pitch has remained relatively true for batting, raising hopes for an exciting chase. However, the Indian bowlers will be looking to exploit any signs of wear and tear on the surface to dismiss the English batsmen.
The final day promises to be a thrilling affair, with both teams having a chance to win the Test. England will be relying on their strong batting lineup to chase down the target, while India will be hoping their bowlers can produce a match-winning performance.
