IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 3 highlights: India wins by an innings and 25 runs

India to lock horns with New Zealand in ICC World Test Championship final, scheduled to take place on June 18-22, at Lord's cricket ground. Check India vs England 4th Test highlights and scorecard

9:16 AM

Pant emerges as a complete batsman-wicket-keeper package

The new Mr. Natural has arrived, not since Australia's Adam Gilchrist has a precocious batsman-wicketkeeping talent burst on the cricketing scene. Remember that Pant's big hitting is now a familiar thing in Test cricket.

 

On Friday, he reverse swept Jimmy Anderson with impunity, startling one and all at Motera.

There was no doubt about Pant's ability to first rescue and then take India home with the bat, an example of which he showed again on Day 2 of 4th Test with a swashbuckling century against England, his third in Test match cricket.

What has come good in the ongoing Test series is his ability with wicket-keeping gloves. Pant had kept well on difficult pitches in the previous two Tests, in Chennai and here, and also in this one, establishing himself as the No.1 wicketkeeper for India in all formats. This is a big leap in three months' time at the start of which it was being doubted if he would ever be able to step into Mahendra Singh Dhoni's shoes or that he has lost himself in the comparison.

However, a couple of series-defining innings in Australia in January and his blitzkrieg -- 101 off 118 balls -- on Friday that took India from 153 for six wickets, i.e. 52 runs behind England, to 294 for seven -- and 89 runs ahead in just one session -- has proved that he is set for a long haul.

India opener Rohit Sharma on Friday said, "He seems to be doing the job for us. He is more than ready, I guess [to step into Dhoni's shoes]."

 

Former India stumper Kiran More says he is a match-winner for him across all formats.

"I always maintained that unless you throw someone at the deep end how will he learn? That is what happened with Pant. He has been with Indian team for three years now. That was a very sad thing -- not playing [him] in India. I don't know what the reason was. He was young, inexperienced. Inexperience doesn't help when you play in India. But you have to give opportunities for experience. Obviously, over the period he has worked hard," More told IANS.

Pant wasn't picked for Tests in India apparently because his wicket-keeping skills weren't considered up to mark. However, he has shown in this series that he belongs to this level, both as a batsman and as a wicket-keeper.

"On Indian surfaces, a wicketkeeper is always in the game. If you do well, you get appreciated. If you drop one catch on a flat pitch, it tends to get noticed. But on tracks that aid turn, even if you miss an odd ball, people blame the pitch not your wicket-keeping skills. So, it is a bit easier that way," added More.

Pant received a lot of flak for not batting sensibly. He apparently lost his place in the side for not batting with responsibility. A dismissal during the 2019 World Cup resulted in a lot of criticism. However, now he seems to have matured. He carried India to a resounding win with unbeaten 89 in the fourth and final Test against Australia in Brisbane in January, after helping India draw the third Test in Sydney with a 97.

Opener Sharma backed Pant's batting style, which is aggressive and has remained mostly unchanged from the start.

"In the first half of his innings, he was fine, trusting his defence absolutely and then once we got to 200, he just wanted to take on the bowlers which is fine. You need those kind of players in your team who are not afraid to take on bowlers," said Sharma, describing Pant's batting on Friday.

Pant's first half-century took 82 deliveries and then the next one took just 33. The innings was strategically well-constructed.

"He is going to get more dangerous, going to get more mature. He has always been a match-winner for me. He will get more dangerous with his ability and aggression. More experience he gets, the more dangerous he gets in world of cricket. He will win lots of Tests for India in all formats," said More.

9:14 AM

Pant will be an all-time great: Ganguly

9:08 AM

India vs England 4th Test Day 2 highlights

Rishabh Pant changed his game-plan and in turn India's fortunes with a magnificent century, helping the side snatch control from England's grip to finish the second day at a robust 294 for 7 in the final Test here on Friday.

 

England dominated the first two sessions and India looked in all sorts of trouble before Pant (101 off 118 balls) suddenly decided to catch the opposition by the scruff of their necks, effortlessly changing gears in company of Washington Sundar (60, 117 balls, 8x4).

 

The duo added 113 runs in 26 overs but more importantly, landed an exquisite 'left-hook' on England's hopes of turning party-poopers, having already conceded a first innings lead of 89 runs.

 

At stumps, Washington was still at the crease with Axar Patel (11).

 

For someone, who has always been panned for his lack of game awareness, it was Pant 2.0 at play where he defended when it was necessary but unlocked his brutal attacking instincts when required.

 

The first 50 came off 82 balls and the next off 33 balls with Washington being the ideal foil, holding one end well en route to his third half century in Test cricket.

 

Just like playing a single spinner in the third Test was a blunder, England paid the price for playing a bowler short as their main four got tired during the final session.

 

In Virender Sehwag style, Pant deposited Dom Bess into the 'cow corner' of the stands against the turn, to complete his third Test hundred, first at home, having missed at least five in recent years.

 

When he finally got out, Root's frustrated expression was a dead giveaway that the match was now out of hand for England, having conceded as many as 141 runs in a single session.
 

9:00 AM

India vs England 4th Test Day 3 live updates

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Day 3 of the fourth and final Test between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium, popularly known as Motera Stadium.