Leeds, June 21 (IANS) Captain Shubman Gill’s career-best 147 and vice-captain Rishabh Pant’s astonishing 134 propelled India to 454/7 in 108.4 overs at lunch on day two of the first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Headingley on Saturday. Resuming from 359/3, India had a session of two halves – 53/0 before the drinks break was taken. By then, Pant hit his seventh Test century and went past MS Dhoni (six) for the most Test centuries hit by an Indian wicketkeeper.

The flamboyant Pant’s third Test hundred in England, laced with magnificence and madness in stroke-play in equal measure, is a feat no other visiting keeper has achieved before. But after the drinks break, India lost four wickets, including both centurions Gill and Pant, for 42 runs, giving England a chance of bowling out India below 500.

Gill got Day Two underway with a gorgeous extra cover drive off Chris Woakes for four before Pant pulled and steered Brydon Carse for boundaries, despite missing a hack down the ground off the pacer. The duo continued to trade in boundaries, as Pant went into the 90s with a falling scoop off Shoaib Bashir for four, before walloping him for six.

Pant then stepped out to heave Bashir for a one-handed six over midwicket to bring up his enthralling century off 146 deliveries and celebrated with his signature somersault, a skill he picked up from undergoing gymnastics practice in his growing-up years.

Pant then brought up 200 runs of his stand with Gill when he managed to clear long-off for six off Bashir before the partnership was ended by the off-spinner when the Indian captain holed out to deep square leg, as he fell for a classy 147.

Pant’s fun continued when he creamed Stokes for four, and slog-swept Bashir for six, before pulling off the England captain for another boundary. But from the other end, Karun Nair’s comeback to the Test team after eight years lasted just four balls as he reached out to a wide ball off Stokes, and Ollie Pope at cover took a brilliant leaping catch to dismiss him for a duck.

With some reverse swing on offer, Pant was troubled by inswingers from Josh Tongue, before shouldering arms to a sharp nip-backer from around the wicket and was trapped lbw right in front of the stumps. Soon after, Shardul Thakur slashed Stokes behind to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith at the stroke of lunch, leaving India’s quest of making 600 in doubt.

Brief scores:

India 454/7 in 108.4 overs (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134; Ben Stokes 4-66, Josh Tongue 1-79) against England

–IANS

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