Sensational Pant (146), solid Jadeja (83*) lift India to 338 for 7 on Day 1 of Birmingham Test

Rishabh Pant scored a spectacular 146 off only 111 balls as India recovered from 98 for 5 to reach 338 for 7 at Stumps on Day 1 of the fifth Test (rescheduled) in Birmingham against England. Pant and Ravindra Jadeja (83* off 163 balls) featured in a magnificent sixth-wicket stand of 222 after it looked like England’s bowlers would blow India away cheaply.

Pant was the aggressor as usual as he kept finding the boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving. In all, he slammed 19 fours and four sixes in his breathtaking innings. He showed intent against left-arm spinner Jack Leach, smacking him for 4,4,6 off consecutive deliveries in the bowler’s second over.

The keeper-batter brought up a solid fifty by whacking Leach past deep square leg for a boundary. At the other end, Jadeja was content playing second fiddle by holding one end up. Thanks to Pant and Jadeja, the visitors went to Tea on Day 1 at a decent 174 for 5.

Pant put early pressure on England in the final session, whacking Matthew Potts for two fours in the first over of the last session. He was in the zone after that, hitting boundaries at will. He moved from 88 to 96 by swinging Leach for consecutive fours.

The southpaw soon brought up a well-deserved hundred - the fifth of his Test career - by pulling Stuart Broad for a couple. In the same over, the 58th of India’s innings, Jadeja reached a patient fifty by chipping the England pacer for a single wide of mid-on.

Pant kept attacking England even after crossing three figures. In Leach’s ninth over, the 61st of the innings, the left-hander again took on the spinner and clobbered him for 4,6,4,6 - the last stroke being his signature one-handed loft over the ropes.

He went after Joe Root as well, launching a six down the ground. However, the part-time bowler delivered a massive breakthrough off the very next ball by inducing an edge off a slow and wide delivery as Pant went for another extravagant hit.

England had another big breakthrough when Ben Stokes, who struggled with no-balls for most of the day, had Shardul Thakur (1) caught behind with a sharp bouncer.

Jadeja and Mohammed Shami (0*) batted through a tricky period at the end to take the visitors to Stumps without further damage.

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Anderson, Potts make early inroads before Pant blitzkrieg

James Anderson celebrates the wicket of Shreyas Iyer. Pic: Getty Images

Only 20.1 overs were possible in the first session of play before rain forced a lengthy delay. India lost both their openers in the shortened morning session. After England won the toss and invited India to bat, Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara looked solid at the start. India went through the first six overs unscathed, with Gill even crunching some handsome boundaries.

James Anderson, however, struck in the seventh over, as Gill (17) needlessly poked at a delivery outside off stump that he could have left alone. The young batter got a healthy nick, which was taken at second slip.

Pujara overturned a caught-behind decision off Broad using the DRS in the 14th over. There was another close shave for India as Hanuma Vihari was dropped in the slips before he could reach double figures.

India’s luck eventually ran out when Anderson produced a snorter to end Pujara’s resistance on 13 off 46 balls. The England genius forced the Indian batter to play at one that was too close to off stump. He got it to straighten and take the edge, which flew to second slip. Players were soon forced to take an early Lunch as rain interrupted play at the start of the 21st over.

Vihari did not last long after play resumed. He was trapped plumb in front for 20 by a sharp delivery from Matthew Potts that seamed in from a full length. The visitors suffered another major setback as Virat Kohli’s poor run with the bat continued.

An indecisive Kohli (11) tried to leave a delivery from Potts that pitched outside off stump. But he made the decision too late and the ball ran off the face of the bat to hit the stumps.

India lost their side for 98 when Shreyas Iyer (15) once again fell to the short ball. Anderson fired one towards Iyer’s body and the batter only managed to tickle the delivery down the leg ajde as Sam Billings took a brilliant leaping catch.

Pant and Jadeja, however, combined to play contrasting knocks and keep England’s bowlers in check.