The China Mail - Pant scores India's third hundred in 1st Test before England hit back

India reached lunch well-placed at 454-7 after being sent into bat by England captain Ben Stokes on Friday's first day of this five-match series.

But having been cruising towards a score in excess of 500, India lost four wickets for 24 runs towards the end of the session.

Stokes, the pick of England's attack, had Shardul Thakur caught behind to force an early lunch, with the all-rounder's figures now standing at 4-66 in 19.4 overs.

India resumed on their overnight 359-3 after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) and captain Shubman Gill (127 not out) had already reached three figures.

It was not long before Gill, in his first innings as India skipper since succeeding the retired Rohit Sharma, went to his highest Test score with a classic off-drive for four against Chris Woakes.

That shot meant the 25-year-old Gill surpassed his previous best of 128 against Australia in Ahmedabad two years ago.

The runs continued to flow as Pant, 65 not out overnight, went to a hundred in spectacular style.

He charged down the pitch to Shoaib Bashir before, despite one hand coming off the bat, still managing to hoist the off-spinner high over deep midwicket for six.

Pant's seventh hundred in 44 Tests, and fourth against England, came off 146 balls including 10 fours and four sixes in a typically aggressive innings.

The 27-year-old then celebrated his century with an acrobatic somersault.

Pant smashed another six off Bashir as Gill continued to score in elegant fashion.

But just when England were wondering where their next wicket was coming from, Gill's mistimed pick-up shot off Bashir flew straight to Brydon Carse at deep square leg as the skipper fell for 147, having faced 227 balls including 19 fours and one six.

Gill's exit ended a partnership of 209 in 49 overs with Pant that had taken India to 430-4.

Pant should have been dismissed for 124 when he went down the pitch to Bashir and let go of his bat attempting another big shot only for England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to miss a clear stumping chance.

But England still enjoyed a flurry of wickets.

Karun Nair, who six years ago made an unbeaten triple-hundred against England, fell for a duck when brilliantly caught by a diving Ollie Pope at extra cover driving at Stokes.

With India debutant Sai Sudharsan out for a duck on Friday, Nair's exit meant that for the first time in 148 years of Test history a team's top six had got three hundreds and two noughts between them in the same innings.

Pant, having played a succession of extraordinary strokes, was lbw for 134 offering no shot to fast bowler Josh Tongue to end an innings that featured 84 runs in boundaries.

V.Fan--ThChM