4th Test: Rishabh Pant brings up third Test ton as India’s lead zooms past 50

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant scored his third Test century and his first on home soil in the ongoing fourth Test against England at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, with the hosts quickly racing to a fifty-plus-run lead. 

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India started Day 2 at 24/1 having lost young opener Shubman Gill in the very first over of their innings at dusk on Thursday.

The swashbuckling southpaw came in to bat with India in trouble at 80/4, after losing Cheteshwar Pujara (17), skipper Virat Kohli (0) and Ajinkya Rahane (27).

Pant then stitched important partnerships with Rohit Sharma (49) and Washington Sundar (44*) to lead guide India into the lead. 

Pant’s stand with Sundar was particularly impressive and the most significant of the innings, as the two youngsters added 113 runs to the scoreboard. 

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The 23-year-old was choppy towards the start of his innings and reached his fifty in 82 deliveries. Pant then upped the ante and started taking on the English bowlers, scoring the next 51 runs in just 36 deliveries. 

His innings ended soon after getting to the landmark, smashing a delivery from James Anderson straight to short mid-wicket for skipper Root to take a simple catch. 

India currently have an 85-run lead, with their score at 290/7 from 90 overs.