Headingley Test
India aim to benefit from England's Bazball cricket on closing day at Headingley
Leeds/IBNS: In what would be a mouthwatering final day cricket, England will on Tuesday need to score 350 runs more to win the inaugural Test against India at Headingley, Leeds.
India set 371 as target for the hosts to win riding on KL Rahul's classic 137 and vice-captain Rishabh Pant's 118 on Monday.
Rahul, who lost his overnight partner skipper Shubman Gill early on day four, stitched a mammoth partnership with Pant, who scored hundred in both the innings of the Test.
Rahul and Pant stitched a 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket rescuing India from a volatile 92-3 scorecard to a formidable position where the visitors can challenge England's aggressive cricket on day five.
Barring a few loose shots, Rahul mirrored typical Test cricket batting as he patiently faced 247 balls to score 137 in an innings where he hit 18 boundaries.
Rahul, who was played down by Brydon Carse (3/80), walked back to the hut amid a standing ovation from both the Indian and English fans.
The senior batter was aptly supported from the other end by Pant, who remained uncharacteristically subdued in the entire first session.
Post lunch of course, the wicketkeeper-batter held no bar as he dispatched the English deliveries out of the park at his will and ease.
Rishabh Pant celebrates his century on day 4 of Headingley Test. Photo: BCCI/X
The southpaw, who slammed 15 fours and three sixes to score 118 off 140 balls, heavily advanced India's chances to win the match which looks to be potent enough to offer a result.
India, however, failed to capitalise on Rahul-Pant's lengthy batting as their innings crumbled to 364.
The visitors added only 31 runs for four wickets since Rahul departed leaving Karun Nair (20) on the crease.
At stumps, England managed to add 21 for no loss of wicket in six overs.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will resume batting on day five as England- now known for their Bazball cricket- will look to hunt down the target set by India who are heavily dependent on premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who picked five wickets in the first innings despite three catch drops and a wicket on no-ball.
"There's definitely going to be a result. That's what England have said very openly and their style of cricket suggests that as well so it gives us a good opportunity to pick up ten wickets..," said Rahul weighing in on English batters' probable aggressive run-chase.
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