England vs India: KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant hit hundreds to set hosts stiff run chase of 371 on final day at Headingley | Cricket News

Contrasting, classy centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant combined to set England a stiff target of 371 to win the first Test against India at Headingley, with a thrilling fifth and final day in store.

Rahul’s 137 – his ninth Test ton, and eighth overseas – was a masterclass in patience, concentration and touch, while Pant’s 118 was typically destructive as he wrestled momentum away from England in the afternoon, becoming the first ever Indian batter to score hundreds in both innings against them.

Josh Tongue (3-72), just as he did in the first innings, tore through the tail – taking three wickets in four balls – as India were bowled out for 364, a late collapse of 6-31 to rival their 7-41 first time round.

England, closing on 21-0, will fully believe they can pull off another memorable run-chase, six years on from the Ben Stokes-inspired 359 seen off on the same ground in the 2019 Ashes, and with memories fresh in the mind of their 378 chase against India at Edgbaston just three years ago.

England’s fourth morning got off to the best possible start when India skipper, and first-innings centurion, Shubman Gill (8) chopped one on to his stumps to end Brydon Carse’s opening over.

At that point, with India three down and the deficit only 98, England will have been eyeing a much more modest fourth-innings target, though Rahul and Pant had other ideas.

Both did provide England with early opportunities, Rahul dropped on 58 by Harry Brook at a wide second slip, while the start of Pant’s innings was typically chaotic, as he flashed four over the slips to get off the mark and was grateful to an inside edge that spared his blushes on a Carse lbw shout when playing his ‘falling ramp’ to the England quick.

Though the India wicketkeeper would also benefit from a surprisingly gappy slip cordon after lunch that saw a couple of edges go unclaimed, he gradually grew into his innings and raced through the gears after bringing up his half-century.

From only 28 runs being scored in a tight, tense opening hour’s play, and 63 across the entire first session, India suddenly scored 74 in a 10-over spell in the afternoon as Pant led the charge, hitting two sixes off one Shoaib Bashir over in that span.

Stokes dropped him on 75 in the spinner’s next over, albeit a near-impossible chance diving to his left at cover that he did well to even get his left hand on.

Rahul ticked on through to a richly-deserved hundred and arguably his best ever in Test cricket, with Pant not far behind as he notched his seventh Test ton – five of those coming against England – but he turned down Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar’s urging from the crowd for a second look at his somersault celebration in the match.

The 195-run partnership was finally ended when Pant holed out to wide long-on off Bashir (2-90) shortly before tea, with India’s latest lower-order collapse coming with the fall of Rahul, chopping Carse (3-80) onto his stumps, in the final session.

Chris Woakes (1-45) claimed his first wicket of the Test, snapping up a sharp caught-and-bowled chance off Karun Nair (20), before Tongue’s burst that saw off Shardul Thakur (4), Mohammed Siraj (0) – seemingly hurting his bowling hand in the process – and Jasprit Bumrah (0) in the same over.

Jadeja (25no) struck a couple of big blows to the boundary before Bashir wrapped up the innings and England set about their run chase, Zak Crawley (12no) and Ben Duckett (9no) safely negotiating a tricky six-over spell through to stumps.

There is still plenty of work to be done for the hosts, however, with the form of Bumrah – fresh from a five-for in the first innings – the uneven bounce and spin starting to appear in the surface, plus the prospect of rain on day five all potentially combining to scupper Stokes’ side.

Broad: India favourites on day five

Sky Sports’ Stuart Broad:

“Getting through that new ball period is going to be key for England tomorrow.

“I think India have to be favourites on a day five pitch. They only need to create 10 opportunities, and they need to take their catches.

“They have to be favourites, but England will be talking themselves up in the dressing room and thinking they are favourites.

“Gill has a responsibility to use his bowlers well. They need to come in and whack the pitch as hard as they can.”

Rahul: Wicket has been playing tricks

India opener KL Rahul:

“I think it’s a perfect day-five wicket for us to bowl on. It’s a blockbuster for us.

“When the Test match started, I felt like it was a good batting wicket and it would be a draw but there has been some good wear and tear, so we’re hoping tomorrow the cracks open up and hopefully it will be an interesting match.

“The wicket hasn’t been as easy to bat on as the first innings and that gives us an opportunity to be in the game. It has been up and down for us and the wicket has been playing tricks.

“I’m getting runs now; there was a time I wasn’t converting those starts in Test cricket but I feel like, at this stage, I’m a lot more calm, not chasing numbers, and just enjoying cricket.”

Watch day five of of the first Test between England and India, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am on Tuesday (11am, first ball) or stream with no contract.

England vs India Test series ☀️

All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all live on Sky Sports

First Test: Friday June 20-Tuesday June 24 – HeadingleySecond Test: Wednesday July 2-Sunday July 6 – EdgbastonThird Test: Thursday July 10-Monday July 14 – Lord’sFourth Test: Wednesday July 23-Sunday July 27 – Emirates Old TraffordFifth Test: Thursday July 31-Monday August 4 – The Kia Oval