IND v ENG 2021: Rishabh Pant remains unbeaten as India bowled out for 329
India managed to add only 29 runs to their overnight score as their first innings folded for 329 in the second Chennai Test against England.
Rishabh Pant, who contributed 25 of those runs, remained stranded on 58.
England did not concede a single extra in the innings and India’s 329 is now the highest total in Test cricket without any extras.
Rohit Sharma’s 161 is also the highest individual score in a team innings where the oppositions haven’t conceded an extra.
Indian wickets on Day Two fell in clusters. Moeen Ali got two wickets in a span of three balls in the second over of the second day.
Drawn forward, debutant Axar Patel was stumped courtesy of neat work behind the stumps by Ben Foakes. Ishant Sharma perished trying to sweep on full and managed a top-edge.
Sensing a Rishabh Pant onslaught and with two left-handers at the crease, Joe Root removed Jack Leach from the attack and brought on himself.
With wickets tumbling at the other end, Pant’s first scoring shot of the day was a six over long-on off Root.
Farming most of the strike, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman displayed an array of aggressive strokes and reached his eighth 50+ score in Test cricket.
Olly Stone cleans up India's tail
After seven overs of spin, Root brought in Olly Stone, who ended the 25-run stand between Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
England got two in three balls once again. After ruffling Kuldeep with a short ball, Stone got the left-hander to nick the next ball. Mohammed Siraj slogged a boundary before nicking the next.
England ensured that the damage inflicted by Rishabh Pant was restricted to a minimum. This was partly helped by the poor application of the Indian tail-enders, who just had to hang around and ensure maximum strike to Pant.
On a difficult surface, England are off to a disappointing start, losing both their openers inside eight overs.
Earlier, India elected to bat after winning a critical toss. The 162-run fourth-wicket stand between Rohit Sharma (161) and Ajinkya Rahane (67) on day one set the tone for the Indian innings, which witnessed as many as four ducks, including one from skipper Virat Kohli.
Brief scores
India 329 (Rohit Sharma 161, Ajinkya Rahane 67, Rishabh Pant 58*; Olly Stone 3-47, Jack Leach 2-78, Moeen Ali 4-41) vs England 17-2