Rishabh Pant Shines On An England Dominated Day: Rishabh Pant was the highlight of the day after the Indian Cricket Team wicketkeeper walked out to bat with a fractured foot on a day otherwise dominated by England.
Today was Day 2 of the fourth England vs India Test of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The match is being played at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, with the home side winning the toss and deciding to bowl first.
Rishabh Pant Shines On An England Dominated Day
On the first day, the Indian openers gave the team a solid start, as the duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal made 94 runs together before Rahul was dismissed just shy of a 50. Jaiswal managed to reach the milestone but did not convert it into a ton, getting out for 58. The wicket of captain Shubman Gill for just 12 runs put the team in some deep trouble.
However, the duo of Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant stabilised the proceedings. In the final session of the day, in the 67th over, when the Indian score was 212/3, pacer Chris Woakes bowled a yorker that hit Pant on his right foot. The injury forced the wicketkeeper to leave the field in a mini-ambulance at the score of 27 in 48 deliveries.
Sai Sudharsan scored 61 runs, and the all-rounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur held the fort to end the day at 264/4.
Almost immediately after the start of play on Day Two, Jofra Archer flummoxed Jadeja, who edged the ball into the hands of Harry Brook at slips. Washington Sundar then came out to bat and had a decent partnership with Thakur, who himself got out for 41.
Check Out: Rishabh Pant Shines On An England Dominated Day
But with Shardul’s departure came the biggest surprise of the day as Rishabh Pant came out to bat. A scan the day before showed that he had suffered a compound fracture in his right foot and had been suggested a six-week rest. But with the team at 314/6, the 27-year-old came out to bat.
While he did struggle some at the start of his return to the crease due to restricted footwork, Pant did find his groove as wickets kept falling around him. First, Sundar was dismissed by Ben Stokes, and then Anshul Kambhoj fell for a duck on his debut. Rishabh first completed his 50 and was bowled by Archer soon after, and the Indian innings ended for 358 runs.
The English response was simple, swift, and effective. The opening duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett did what they usually do, bat like it’s an ODI, and score some quick runs. The two batters batted for 32 overs without the Indian bowlers taking any wickets. While Jasprit Bumrah was adequately economical, the pace trio of Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kambhoj, and Shardul Thakur were taken to the cleaners. Especially Thakur, who conceded 35 runs in five overs, two less than what Bumrah did in 13.
Crawley was first to go, dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja in the 32nd over after edging the ball to KL Rahul in the slips for 84, as the team score was 166/1. In the next six overs, England scored 31 more runs before Duckett became Kambhoj’s first Test wicket, getting out for 94.
The day ended with Ollie Pope (20) and Joe Root (11) on strike with England at 225/2, trailing India by 133 runs.
For the Indian Cricket Team, this is a must-win match. Already 2-1 down in this five-game series after three matches, they need a win, or at least a draw in this one, if they are not to lose this series.
Check Out: Watch Rishabh Pant Comes Out To Bat With Fractured Foot
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