LEEDS, England (AP) — Centuries by Lokesh Rahul and Rishabh Pant on Monday helped India set England a steep target of 371 to win the series-opening cricket test at Headingley.
India was all out for 364 in its second innings and, in the last half-hour of Day 4, England knocked 21 runs off the target and survived three overs from star pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
England needs 350 more at less than four runs per over an over in the last three sessions on Tuesday, although some rain is forecast.
The odds favor India on a fifth-day pitch but England in its ‘Bazball’ era is confident of chasing down the target. If it does, it will set a record for England at Headingley.
“It's a blockbuster finish waiting tomorrow," Rahul told broadcaster Sky Sports. "We hope the cracks (in the pitch) open up and there's rough for (spinner Ravindra) Jadeja.
“The wicket is not as easy as the first innings. They won't find it as easy to hit the ball on the rise. Even if they get a big partnership, if we get a couple of wickets we'll be right in the game.”
Rahul hit 137 and Pant scored 118 — his second century of the match — in a stand of 195 that turned the match India's way.
They played a tight situation perfectly; absorbing intense England pressure in the morning and then going on the attack in a stunning afternoon.
The India pair had some luck. Rahul was dropped on 58 and Pant edged twice into the vacant slips area. The unlucky bowler each time was Josh Tongue, but he contributed to routing the India tail again with three wickets in four balls to improve his match haul to seven.
Grinding morning
Monday started very encouragingly for England. On the seventh ball, Brydon Carse got India captain Shubman Gill to chop on and the visitors were at a precarious 92-3.
The pitch was lively, the bounce erratic and the ball was nipping around. Rahul, already on 47, and Pant battened down in their own distinctive ways.
Rahul shouldered responsibility as India's senior batter while Pant was a danger to England and himself. He swiped at a few deliveries without knowing where the ball went. They shared only 63 runs in 24 overs to lunch, but getting through the morning session unscathed and grinding down England was like a win for them.
“It's hard for us to understand his mindset, you've got to let Rishabh Pant be Rishabh Pant,” Rahul said. “There's obviously a method to his madness, he's averaging 45 in test cricket, there's a lot of thinking behind the outrageous shots he plays.”
After lunch their attitude switched and the batters went on the attack. The pair struck only six boundaries in the morning but hit six in the first half-hour after lunch.
Another trademark Rahul cover drive earned him two runs for his century from 202 balls. His ninth test hundred was his eighth away from home. The first Asian opener to score three in England was all business and limited his joy to waving his bat and kissing the crest on his helmet.
“I'm just getting runs now,” the veteran said. “There was a time when I wasn't converting starts, in test cricket especially. At this stage, I'm a lot more calm in my head and not chasing numbers.”
Pant's second century
Meanwhile, Pant raced from 31 at lunch to 95 and went against the grain again by suddenly holding back. It took him more than five overs to hit singles to reach his second hundred of the match. Pant raised his bat and helmet but there was no somersault as in the first innings, when he scored 134.
He became only the second wicketkeeper in history to score two hundreds in a men's test, after Andy Flower for Zimbabwe against South Africa in 2011 in Harare. Pant was also the first India batter to achieve twin tons in a test in England.
He went back on the attack and was finally out going for another big shot, for 118 off 140 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes.
England spinner Shoaib Bashir celebrated the wicket like it was the match-winner as Pant was caught at long-on, where he had hit Bashir for consecutive sixes and started cries of “Ri-shabh Pant!”
When Rahul was out dragging on Carse for 137 off 247 balls, India was 333-5 with more than 1 1/2 hours left to stumps. But any hopes of racking up 400 were ruined by another late collapse.
India lost its last six wickets for 31 runs. In the first innings its last seven wickets were taken for 41.
In contrast, England's last four first-innings wickets scored 67, a factor India will have to worry about as the home side chases with a deep batting order. Zak Crawley will resume Day 5 on 12 and Ben Duckett on 9.
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The Associated Press
