Leeds, June 23 (IANS) KL Rahul used his vast experience well to hit an unbeaten 72 in a testing session for India as their lead swelled to 159 runs after reaching 153/3 in 48 overs of their second innings at lunch on day four of first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Headingley on Monday.

Resuming from 90/2, Brydon Carse removed India captain Shubman Gill in the opening over. But after that, no further wickets came for England as Rahul held fort with his calmness and ability to absorb pressure to notch up his 18th Test half-century in a session where only 63 runs were made in 24.1 overs.

With the ball moving around and a few deliveries leaping off a length, Rahul showed restraint to weather the storm well while sharing an unbroken 61-run stand with Rishabh Pant, who provided for initial chaos before settling down to be not out on 31 off 59 deliveries.

In the morning, under overcast skies, Carse got a big early wicket for England when he got the ball to tail in and Gill, who top-scored with 147 in India’s first innings, chopped onto his stumps for eight. Pant was adventurous to begin – surviving an lbw call, thanks to replays showing an inside edge while a top-edge on a sweep from Carse landed safely in no man’s land at fine leg.

On the other hand, Rahul survived a few plays and misses to bring up his fifty, even as Pant again survived an lbw appeal after trying to unsettle Carse with a fall-over ramp. Rahul then got a life on 58 when Harry Brook dropped his catch at gully off Josh Tongue. By then Pant had tempered his attacking self, including with some positive self-talk caught by stump mic, as he and Rahul ensured India were steady till lunch break arrived.

Brief Scores: India 471 and 153/3 in 48 overs (KL Rahul 72 not out, Rishabh Pant 31 not out; Brydon Carse 2-39, Ben Stokes 1-34) lead England 465 in 100.4 overs (Ollie Pope 106; Jasprit Bumrah 5-83) by 159 runs

–IANS

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