Rishabh Pant became the key player in the recent Test game between India and England. The batsman successfully saved his team from a difficult situation with a remarkable century. India Test team won the game with 338/7 (in 73 overs). It was the first game in the fifth Test that runs from July 1 to 5.
In this Test, India's team must play without their captain, Rohit Sharma. The captain tested positive for COVID-19 in the week before the match. KL Rahul, a Test team's key player, also failed to join the game due to injury.
Highlights of Day 1 Test
Ben Stokes, England's Test captain, won the toss and chose to bowl first. Just a few moments after the game started, it had a two-hour break due to rain. Then, both teams went on lunch break.
India took over the lead after the break. Pant alone managed to score 146 runs with 111 balls (20 boundaries and 4 sixes). Ravindra Jadeja also contributed 83 runs off 163 balls for his team. The combination frustrated the England team, especially when they added 222 runs for the sixth wicket. Despite getting zero in battings, Mohammed Shami accompanied Jadeja at stumps.
Other Indian players provided minor contributions to the game. Hanuma Vihari, for example, made 20 runs, before he was outed. Jasprit Bumrah hadn't made a lot of appearances in the scoring line, but is projected to have a more vital role in the next matches.
Virat Kohli was unfortunately out for 11 during the second session. There was also an incident with Shreyas Iyer as he tickled down the leg side while James Anderson had his third wicket. Sam Billings caught it and asked for review.
There were times in the game when India's performance slipped and the English team started to take over. James Anderson managed to gain 3 wickets and earn 9 runs from it. Anderson had rested during the match in Leeds but the England cricket team added him to the Test team later.
In the next overs, some other English cricketers also showcased their aggressive playing against the India team. Stuart Broad made an impressive performance after the 30 overs. Jack Leach got several overs although Pants managed to take over the play and even scored 50 runs during Leach's second overs.
Stokes, an all-rounder, launched into attack after 72 overs. Unfortunately for him, India was already at 329/7. Matty Potts also displayed a rigorous attack in the last overs, while Jadeja managed to protect India's team by overthrows in the third that earned the team 5 runs. India won despite losing several players on their side.
This fifth Test is a rescheduled event. In the previous Test against England, India led 2-1 but the last game was abandoned due to COVID-19 outbreak at India's camp. Currently, India places second in Test rankings, while England holds the fifth place.
Both teams have experienced many changes since their last meeting in the Test category. In addition to changes in the captain position, the head coaches also shifted. Rahul Dravid becomes the coach of India's team, while Brendon McCullum takes over the coaching specifically for England's red-ball team.
