Rishabh Pant’s stunning century rescues India and stuns England on day one at Edgbaston | Cricket News

Rishabh Pant smashes 19 boundaries and four sixes in stunning fifth Test century to see India recover from 98-5 to 338-7 by stumps; Watch day two at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage starting at 9.45am and play getting under way from 10.30am on Saturday

Rishabh Pant celebrates his 89-ball century on day one against England at Edgbaston

Rishabh Pant smashed a sensational 146 from 111 deliveries to rescue India from 98-5 on day one of the rescheduled fifth LV= Insurance Test against England, the visitors closing on 338-7 at Edgbaston.

Pant cracked 19 boundaries and four sixes in a blistering assault on a shell-shocked England attack, which had earlier done a fine job of dismantling the Indian top order.

James Anderson (3-52) dismissed both openers before a lengthy rain delay interrupted proceedings, while Matthew Potts (2-85) claimed the key wicket of Virat Kohli (11) as part of a double strike from the Durham seamer soon after the resumption.

Sam Billings then produced a superb diving grab to dismiss Shreyas Iyer (15) as he tickled a glove down the leg side off Anderson, leaving India five down before reaching 100.

But Pant, who had already signalled his intent by charging Anderson early in his innings, launched a quite incredible counter and, ably supported by Ravindra Jadeja (83no) in a 222-run stand, had India in control by stumps, despite the fall of his and Shardul Thakur’s wickets late in the day.

As Pant proved, it’s a fine batting surface produced at Edgbaston, making England’s efforts in the morning, as Ben Stokes opted to bowl first under cloudy skies, all the more impressive.

Shubman Gill (17) couldn’t resist a prod at a back-of-a-length delivery dangled outside his off stump that he should have rather left alone, Zak Crawley swallowing up the catch at second slip.

Crawley could have snaffled another, but put down Hanuma Vihari when on six off the bowling of Potts, admittedly a much trickier chance diving away to his right. Stuart Broad (0-53), meanwhile, was denied his 550th Test wicket after Cheteshwar Pujara, initially given out caught behind, had the decision overturned on review as the ball only flicked his thigh pad.

But Pujara (13) soon departed, failing to add further to his score, with Crawley again in the action as Anderson found some swing to take the nick through to him in the slips.

It brough Kohli to the crease but his battle with Anderson that the Edgbaston crowd had been eagerly awaiting was rudely interrupted by the rain.

The two-hour delay didn’t disrupt England’s momentum, with Kohli very nearly perishing to Potts’ first ball back, coming perilously close to chopping onto his stumps.

Potts was causing the former Indian captain all sorts of problems and, shortly after picking up Vihari (20) lbw to a nip-backer that kept low, he did ultimately claim Kohli’s wicket to a near identical delivery to that which troubled him first up, this time the ball crashing into his stumps off his bat as he looked to leave too late.

Anderson and Billings combined superbly to do for Shreyas, but from there Pant took charge of the Test with his audacious and, at times, ridiculous display of hitting.

Potts and Jack Leach (0-71) were targeted in particular, while even the great Anderson wasn’t safe, as Pant repeatedly charged England’s greatest ever Test bowler, swatting a couple of boundaries straight. He also attempted a Joe Root-style reverse-ramp and slog-sweep off successive deliveries with less success and wisely put those shots away thereafter.

The fifty stand came up between him and Jadeja in quick time as he blasted 14 off three deliveries in one Leach over, finishing with a glorious straight six. Pant then brought up he personal half century, off 51 balls, shortly before the tea interval.

After the break, Pant was even more destructive still, as he raced through to remarkable fifth Test century off just 89 deliveries.

Watch day two of the rescheduled fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India, at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage starting at 9.45am and play getting under way from 10.30am on Saturday.