Swashbuckling batter Rishabh Pant scored a brilliant ton to put India in a strong position at 338/7 at stumps on Day 1 here at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on Friday after a point when they were tottering at 98 for 5. He brought up his fifth Test hundred off just 89 balls. This was the third fastest hundred by an Indian outside Asia, with Virender Sehwag hitting the fastest in 78 balls against West Indies in 2006, followed by Mohammed Azharuddin against England in 1990 in 88 balls.
Rishabh Pant, after scoring a superlative hundred against England in a Test match, told a press conference: "Every match I look to give my 100 per cent."
Further, revealing his batting mantra, Pant said: "In Test cricket, it's important to focus on defence. It's important to give respect to a good ball and hit the bad ball." He also felt: "In England (meaning in English conditions) it's important to disturb the length of a bowler."
When Twitter went abuzz post the @RishabhPant17 blitz #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/RCuVwRmy34
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2022
The 24-year-old walked out to bat at 64 for 3 when Hanuma Vihari was dismissed leg before wicket for 20 by pacer Matthew Potts. From the other end, he saw the likes of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer biting the dust with scores of 11 and 15 respectively. The Indian batters had no answer to the English bowlers' swing, movement and guile.
When Ravindra Jadeja joined him at the crease with India in a crisis, the two, he revealed, said to each other: "Let's try for a partnership."
The duo then put on a record-breaking 222 runs for the 6th wicket against England.
Joe Root earned his team the breakthrough, dismissing Pant for an entertaining 146 off 111 balls. The 222-run stand between Pant and Jadeja finally ended in the 67th over after Zak Crawley caught Pant at the slip.
.@RishabhPant17 scored a stunning 146 as he brought up his 5⃣th Test ton & was our top performer from Day 1 of the #ENGvIND Edgbaston Test. #TeamIndia
A summary of his knock pic.twitter.com/31d1j8yBgo
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2022
Meanwhile, Pant confirmed that he was always going to bat at number 5 and contrary to the general impression, was not promoted from number six.
He concluded by saying coach Rahul Dravid told him: "Play according to the ball."
Paul Collingwood appearing as a spokesman for the England team said: "We are not overawed by what the opposition gets in the first innings." He, however, congratulated Pant on his innings.
At the end of day one, Jadeja (83*) and Mohammed Shami (0*) were on the crease.
