Credit: Star Sports
In the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley in Leeds, a fierce rivalry between India vice-captain Rishabh Pant and England skipper Ben Stokes is going on. Pant, who came to bat number five after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal, hit Stokes down the ground two balls after the opener’s departure. Stokes has led his team from the front in this game so far. Off India’s three losses of wickets in their first innings on day one, Stokes has inflicted two to the visitors. Following the tea break, he cleaned up Jaiswal and delivered the third breakthrough to his side. Jaiswal was in brilliant touch and he concluded his knock after scoring 101 off 158.
After Jaiswal’s sudden fall, Pant hit the boundary on the second ball of his innings, dancing down the track and lofting the ball over Stokes' head, which got a humorous reaction from the England captain. It led to the veteran staring at the 27-year-old India batter and chuckled. Both Pant and Stokes have faced each other in nine Test innings thus far. The India wicket-keeper batter has scored 87 runs against the England Test captain.
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Rishabh Pant hits his 16th Test fifty in his unorthodox style
Rishabh Pant has looked phenomenal in this contest. The southpaw, accompanying his captain Gill, has stitched a crucial 138-run stand so far. He brought his 16th Test fifty in just 91 balls. If the left-handed batter also slams a ton, it will be the second instance when three India batters will hit centuries in a Test match in Leeds.
In 2002, Sachin Tendulkar (193), Sourav Ganguly (128), and Rahul Dravid (148) scored hundreds to help India hammer the Michael Vaughan-led England by an innings and 46 runs. Eyes will be set on Pant whether he joins the ranks of Jaiswal and Gill, who scored centuries in this game. At stumps, India have accumulated 359/3 with Pant (unbeaten 65) and Gill (unbeaten 127) at the crease.
