Follow UsMore than 1300 runs have been scored in the first four days of the opening Test between England and India at Headingley, but we still don’t have a guaranteed winner. England, chasing a target of 371, were 21 for no loss at the end of day four. They require 350 more runs, while India need 10 wickets. Given the way England have been playing Test cricket of late, they will surely go for the target, which will also keep the visitors in the game.
However, everything will depend on how the Leeds surface behaves on the final day of the Test. “I think the first two days, being as hot as they were, the pitch has taken a bit of a beating. The crack seems like it’s opening up. There’s a bit of rough there, and the wicket is really dry. Mostly, it’s like a subcontinent wicket on day five,” KL Rahul told Jiostar, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
“Day five wickets won’t be as easy, but knowing the way England play and their style of cricket, they’re going to come hard and try to score boundaries and quick runs. We need to keep that in the back of our minds, bowl as straight as we can, be patient, and not give them those boundaries — make them earn their runs. It should be a very interesting day.”
Rahul and Rishabh Pant both scored centuries on day four but struggled to score freely in the first session. “It was very different this morning. It almost felt like it was the first time we were actually in English conditions. The ball was seaming around, it was overcast, and there was a bit happening off the wicket.
“The first couple of days when we batted, there wasn’t much. There was a bit of swing in the air, but nothing off the pitch. But this morning, it was a really good spell. I just felt like I needed to play tighter, make sure that we didn’t lose too many wickets, and make sure that I killed the first session. I was trying to play as straight as possible — at least defend as straight as possible.”
Rahul made 137 off 247 deliveries, while Pant smashed 118 off 140 deliveries. The two put on 195 runs for the fourth wicket and helped India set England a formidable target. “When Rishabh walks in, you just let him be,” Rahul added.
“He knows what’s best for the team and for himself and how he can do that. Everyone’s different. Rishabh is a very different player. He does the job for the team, so you just let him be and make sure that he’s doing the simple things right. We’ve had a few partnerships before as well, so we enjoy batting together.”