Pant piles on agony for England with record-breaking century

AFP | Leeds

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Rishabh Pant became the first India batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a Test against England as the tourists strengthened their grip on the series opener at Headingley yesterday.

The swashbuckling wicketkeeper, who made 134 in the first innings, completed a 130- ball century, including 13 fours and two sixes on the fourth afternoon.

He was out for 118, caught by Zak Crawley off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir to leave India 287-4, with KL Rahul unbeaten on 112.

Pant is just the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of the same match following Andy Flower’s scores of 142 and 199 not out for Zimbabwe against South Africa in 2001.

After a morning session in which India captain Shubman Gill was the only batsman dismissed, Rahul and Pant upped the tempo in their contrasting styles as India scored 80 runs in the first hour of the second session.

Right-hander Rahul hit off-spinner Bashir for a textbook cover-drive four, while left-hander Pant nicked Josh Tongue through a vacant second slip position and, on the next ball, thrashed him through the covers.

Another edge through the cordon took Pant to 49 before he completed an 83-ball fifty. Pant then took a particular liking to Bashir, driving the young spinner for two soaring sixes in three balls.