India’s injured Rishabh Pants hit 54 hits after a surprise return before England controlled the fourth Test
England may have thought they saw Rishabh’s last pants in this Test series against India.
There were other ideas for pants.
Pants returned Thursday after resigning from a foot injury early in his fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Pants’ involvement was a surprise and extended the visitor’s first innings, but the UK continued to control the match with a ferocious opening partnership of 166 by Zach Crawley and Ben Duckett.
The hosts reached 225-2 on the stump at Old Trafford on the second day, reaching 225-2 by 133 trails. This included 26 fours between the pair – 13, respectively, and six, Crawley, mainly thanks to the explosive batting of Crawley (84) and Duckett (94).
Ollie Pope (not 20) and Joe Root (not 11) are in the crease.
England leads the 2-1 five-match series.
India resumed 264-4, with England taking wickets for Rabindra Jadeha (20) and Shardeur Thakur (41) in the morning session.
However, Pants’ return presented the UK with an unexpected obstacle when he came out to replace Thakur after an overnight report that he had maintained a fracture.
A slow, uncomfortably walked, he creased to cheer from around the stadium and resumed the innings to 37.
It was a brave display of pants. He was hurt a day ago when his showmanship made him better, and the reverse sweep attempted an inverse sweep from Chris Walks saw the ball deflected his right foot. He lay in the field in pain, his legs were so swollen that he had to leave in his cart.
He went on to reach 54 with 17 runs added, then bowled by Jofra Archer.
The UK wasted no time chasing Crawley, Duckett and India’s totals on the mission.
The hosts responded 77-0 on the tee, with Duckett hitting 43 balls from 43 on seven fours, while Crawley was 44-33.
The pair continued to find boundaries when play resumed, and both were searching for courses for centuries until their Indian breakthrough.
Crawley was caught by KL Rahul on a slip from Jadeja and Duckett was caught by Anshrub-Cambodi alternative Dhruv Jurel. Duckett’s head fell when he sank in the point that he collapsed at just six years old in the Test century.
The England captain is the main wicket taker of the series after hauling five people in the fourth Test.
Stokes added wickets for Thakur (41), Washington Sundar (27) and Cambodi (0) to the wickets for Shubman Gill (12) and Sai Sudarsan (61) on the first day.
Stokes had 16 wickets in the series, and this was the first time he’d scored five in a match in eight years.
