INDIA vice captain Rishabh Pant scripted a fabulous fightback along with spinner-all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja against England in the fifth Test of the 2021 series in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Friday (1) after the hosts pegged the visitors back after winning the toss and opting to bowl. India were placed at 323 for 7 in the 69th over after Pant and Jadeja added 222 runs for the sixth wicket.
India, who were led in the game by bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the absence of the Covid-hit Rohit Sharma, sent Cheteshwar Pujara (13) to open the innings with regular opener Shubman Gill (17). They could manage only 27 for the first wicket and the visitors faced a mini collapse with none of the top-order batters lasting too long in the middle. Besides the two openers, Hanuma Vihari (20), veteran Virat Kohli (11) and Shreyas Iyer (15) returned to the hut quickly leaving India reeling at 98 for 5 in the 28th over.
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James Anderson took three of those five wickets while Matthew Potts took two, including the prized one of Kohli who made some runs in the side game but disappointed the fans once again at a crunch moment.
India batter Ravindra Jadeja in batting action watched by Sam Billings during Day 1 of the fifth Test match between England and India at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Friday, July 1, 2022. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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It was then when Jadeja joined Pant, who came out to bat at No.5 and the duo counter-attacked the England bowlers to take India to 174 for 5 at tea. Pant was then batting at 53 off 52 balls while Jadeja was on 32 off 65. After tea, the duo accelerated and the team score went past 300, giving the Indian fans enough reasons to cheer.
Pant slammed his fifth Test hundred in the process, the third against England, and the second in England. He eventually got dismissed on 146 (111 balls) off irregular bowler Joe Root, giving his team a much-required relief in a crucial game.
Shardul Thakur was dismissed soon after for one by England skipper Ben Stokes, exposing the Indian tail. However, Jadeja was still batting on 69 off 148 balls. It was his 17th fifty in the long format.
Earlier, rain delayed the start of the second session by an hour and the hosts, who recently hammered Test world champions New Zealand 3-0 at home, were all over India soon after play resumed, bundling half their side.
But Pant and Jadeja ensured that it was not a one-sided show.
India are leading the five-Test series 2-1 and if they win it, it will be their first series win on England soil in the long format after 15 years.
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