CHENNAI: On air, Dinesh Karthik came up with a lovely line to describe KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant match-altering 195-run stand on a lovely Monday afternoon sandwiched by lunch. "Classical music," the cricketer-turned-pundit said. "at one end and hip-hop on the other end."
It kind of captured the contrasting 100s by both. If Rahul's was classy, Pant's was chancy, it resembled a man who kept winning at the poker table despite holding at least one deuce card on a lot of occasions. At one point, the stump mic even caught him disparaging himself. "I just need to middle, I don't need to do anything out of the ordinary," or something to that extent in Hindi (Karthik helped translate this to English).
It was during a tense phase of play when the hosts' bowlers were finding the right areas and asking all sorts of awkward questions. It reflected in the scoring rate (under 3). There were a couple of the now trademark Pant shimmies when he connected with air. The falling over sweep off a pacer resulted in an inside edge and on to pad. There were several plays and misses. After lunch, one outside edge flew through first slip to the boundary when the cordon was empty as Ben Stokes focused on containing. Later, an outside fizzed via second slip, with first slip wishing he had a bigger frame. It was just that kind of day.
But once the clouds lifted — physically and metaphorically — the 27-year-old showed his full range. Six English bowlers bowled to him and he hit at least one boundary against all of them. He was especially severe against spinners Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root (4x4, 3x6 and 55 of his 118 coming against the duo).
In the process of his 118, he set some records. Only the second designated keeper to score twin 100s in a Test (Andy Flower). The most no. of maximums in a Test in England by a visiting batter. It's what he does. It's why his brand of batting is so thrilling, so captivating. You either get Pant or you are wrong.
From an Indian perspective, it could have gone pear shaped had their talismanic vice-captain left the stage early. He lived a dangerous life but when he wasn't living it, he buckled down. When he walked off for lunch, he had a strike rate of just above 50 (31 off 59, 4x4). Once he filled his stomach, he decided to fill his boots.
After the uncertainty of the first session, he went on the rampage, it was an exhibition of thrill-a-minute hitting. Putting bums on seats but also getting the paying public off their seats for the hedonistic strokeplay. His next 68 came off 81 (26 off those when he was navigating the 90s), with 54 off those off boundaries.
It's what has enabled the visitors the chance of picking a W at the first time of asking in this series. Considering Jasprit Bumrah may miss two of the next four Tests and weather set to be very overcast if not outright rain for Tuesday, it is a day filled with potential for Shubman Gill & Co. Having won only one of the last eight Tests — the run one of India's worst in recent years — the next 90 overs offers a significant balm for India's next generation.
