Rishabh and KL Rahul On the fourth day, Pant's hit against centuries in contrast to England's 371 in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, gave England the victory. In response, England managed 21/0 in six overs, setting the stage for Tuesday's Test, in which all four outcomes are possible and they have 90 overs to score 350 runs.

Pant is just the second wicketkeeper in test history to accomplish this feat, following Andy Flower of Zimbabwe, who scored 141 and 199* against South Africa in Harare in 2001. This was his second century in the game.

Additionally, you know it's a special Test if five Indians have performed the unheard-of achievement of scoring hundreds in both innings, particularly in Leeds, where two of the most bizarre Test outcomes in history have occurred. The composure with which India batted for around 100 overs after the early dismissal of Shubman Gill at the start of the day was even more uplifting.

Keep in mind that this turnaround occurred just nine months after the humiliating home series defeat to New Zealand and a rout in Australia that had hastened the shift towards a younger team. Despite being warned to be prepared for rough seas, India is now challenging England to show us what they're capable of.

The two hundreds — Rahul's ninth and Pant's eighth — and the 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket that it generated, which began with a calm first session before the scoring gradually increased, were at the center of this struggle. Gill's dismissal was essential to this uneven scoring, with Brydon Carse forcing him to pull onto his stumps in just the second over of the day. With that, Rahul left and used his superior skill to block the rolling ball, which is a sight rarely seen in a visiting batter, much to England's annoyance. Pant also put his aggression on hold for a bit, leaving England in need of further breakthroughs.

But those who crossed their path were grassed. When Rahul attempted to lead Josh Tongue over gully, he was on 55. But Rahul was unable to handle the shot as the ball reared up on him, resulting in an edge that went to Brook, who was unable to respond in time. Pant received two respites: the first was on 31 when he barely made it through an empty first slip, and the second was on 49 when he flirted with the first slip by inching past him. Pant's fifty took 83 balls to get to. After arriving, Pant didn't hold back, needing just 47 pitches to reach his second century of the match, with 22 of those balls used to advance from 95.

On the opposite end, Rahul was the epitome of composure, playing late with gentle hands, taking a few punches to the glove, but maintaining the ball on the ground. He seemed to be most enraged by Stokes, who was throwing the ball with great skill. But to Rahul's credit, he never lost sight of the primary objective. By setting the tempo of the innings, Rahul seized control of the game and irritated England in the opening session. He delivered a lavish four for Stokes by knocking him through the covers. He then let off a cut so late to Carse that Third Slip and Gully could only observe it bisect them. With 15 centuries, only Sunil Gavaskar is ahead of Rahul, who scored his eighth international century—his sixth outside Asia—as an opener, in a two through cover.

Considering the circumstances in which Rahul had entered this series, this was also a personal victory for him. Rahul should have theoretically been chosen as India's Test captain based on seniority and hierarchy, but the runs he had left in him were far more important. Ten years into his career, he had a mediocre average in the 30s, which was proof that deterioration had started. In all honesty, his calmness was underutilized for a long time as well, which caused him to switch between forms while uncertain of his future. The only way to silence all the chatter was with a truly elegant and refined inning. Fortunately for him, it occurred during the first game of the series.

Pant was allowed to let loose after reaching his hundred, so in one over he hammered Joe Root for three fours and a six. In the 58th over, Shoaib Bashir, an off-spinner, had previously been targeted for runs, giving up two sixes. As a result, Pant pursued him as soon as he came back from Root's beating. This time, however, he brought Karun Nair to the crease by locating the fielder at long-on. Although he successfully reversed-swept Bashir for four, Chris Woakes's excellent return catch prevented him from moving farther.

The wobble began here, and it's fair to say that India isn't a stranger to this. The first innings saw India lose 7/41, and the second innings saw a concerning 6/31. Ravindra Jadeja remained at the plate to score 12 runs, while Tongue picked up three wickets in an over.

Statistically speaking, 371 is sufficient. India has only ever lost one game while defending a total of more than 350 runs, which was at Edgbaston in 2022. With England eager to run them down, this is likely to weigh heavily on their minds as this Test enters day five.

Read Also: Strengthening Defence: A Crucial Step for India's Future

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