Rishabh Pant (101) brings up a quickfire 115-ball hundred to deflate England, who had earlier reduced the hosts to 146-6 in reply to their first innings score of 205 all out; India close on 294-7, with a lead of 89
Friday 5 March 2021 15:42, UK
England produced a stirring fightback with the ball on day two of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad before their stretched attack tired significantly late on in the face of some destructive batting from Rishabh Pant, who brought up a 115-ball ton with a six.
Pant's scintillating century came as part of a crucial 113-run partnership with Washington Sundar (60no) which helped lift India to 294-7 by stumps, and a lead of 89.
The home side had earlier been reduced to 146-6 midway through the afternoon session, a Herculean effort with the ball from Ben Stokes (2-73), in particular, giving hope to England perhaps even earning a slender first-innings lead.
Stokes found some steep bounce to dismiss Virat Kohli for a duck in the morning and later returned to trap Rohit Sharma (49) lbw with a sharp inswinging delivery - just rewards for a tireless, back-breaking effort in which the all-rounder got through 22 overs in sweltering heat.
Stokes' heavy workload, as well as 38-year-old James Anderson's - 3-40 in 20 overs - came as a result of England picking just four front-line bowlers for this Test, and with one of them, Dom Bess, struggling badly for confidence.
Bess (0-56) finished wicketless from his 15 overs, as the off-spinner, who was dropped for the previous two Tests, struggled to land the ball on a consistent line and length - the more than occasional full toss and half-tracker repeatedly punished to the boundary.
That said, things could have been so different for Bess had he been awarded the wicket of Pant, when on 36, with a strong lbw shout on the stroke of tea. Pant was hit on the back leg in front of the stumps, with the ball shown to be clipping a good chunk of middle stump but just not enough to overturn the 'not out' on-field decision.
Pant's wicket would have seen India drop to 152-7 heading into the final session of the day but, instead, a deflated and weary England attack were plundered for more than double the 129 runs they had conceded during an immensely-disciplined display up until tea.
England were patient as they went in search of wickets in the morning. Anderson and Stokes dried up the runs initially, before the introduction of Jack Leach (2-66) brought a breakthrough in his second over - the left-arm spinner trapping Cheteshwar Pujara (17) lbw, beating him on the inside edge with one that straightened on with the arm.
One brought two, as Stokes, who consistently found steep bounce off the deck throughout the day, did for Kohli with one such delivery which the India captain could only fend behind to Ben Foakes.
India were reeling at 41-3, finding runs hugely difficult to come by - just 17 added from the first 15 overs in the day - and then just as Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane were beginning to build a promising partnership, England struck again on the stroke of lunch, Anderson finding just a hint of swing away and drawing the edge from Rahane (27) to Stokes at second slip.
Rohit rebuilt once more, this time putting on 41 for the fifth wicket with Pant, who was far more watchful to start his innings before quickly going through the gears in the evening session.
But back came Stokes. Much like Anderson, he was finding a bit of swing and succeeded in ousting Rohit one shy of a half-century with a big in-ducker that hit the Indian opener in front - a decision confirmed on 'umpire's call' by DRS after a review by the batsman.
Leach accounted for Ravichandran Ashwin (13) not long after, as Ollie Pope snaffled a leading edge at mid-wicket, but England's attack were beginning to tire in the searing heat.
Bess was brought back into the attack, with two left handers in Pant and Sundar to spin the ball away from, and while he did come close to snaring the former, he was still proving expensive and not providing skipper Joe Root the control he needed and England had so benefitted from earlier in the day.
Pant's reprieve on 36 ultimately proved pivotal, one a weary England outfit could not recover from and one that could ultimately cost the tourists the chance to tie the series at 2-2.
Pant smashed 13 fours and two sixes on his way to 101 from 118 balls as India amassed 141 from the final session of the day alone. Sundar was a more than able understudy and, when Pant finally perished with a mow to mid-wicket off Anderson, he remained unbeaten on 60 at the close.
Follow text commentary from day three of the fourth Test between India and England in Ahmedabad on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app from 3.50am on Saturday.
