India set England a steep target of 371 runs in the fourth innings of the first Test at Headingley, thanks to centuries from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Following India’s loss of captain Shubman Gill early on Day 4, the duo accumulated 195 runs for the fourth wicket. Pant achieved his second century of the match, making him only the second wicketkeeper after Andy Flower to do so in Test cricket.
Rahul remained composed in testing conditions, scoring his ninth Test century and leading the innings before falling for 137. England’s bowlers came back with the second new ball, lowering India’s strong position to 364 all out. Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, and Chris Woakes were among the wickets, with Tongue getting three in four deliveries during a remarkable over.
Despite the flurry of wickets, India’s lead stretched beyond 300, thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s vital cameo performance. England started their chase smoothly, with openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley surviving the remaining 29 minutes unscathed to end 21/0.
The Test remains open, despite the expectation for rain on the last day and a wearing pitch. England requires 350 more runs with all wickets intact to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
