On Saturday, England found themselves on the receiving end of a relentless Indian batting display in the second innings at Edgbaston, which led Harry Brook to resort to mind games in an effort to disrupt Rishabh Pant’s rhythm during his quickfire half-century.Rishabh Pant was bringing the chaos at Edgbaston, and between deliveries, Brook tried to provoke Pant with a pointed question. “What’s your fastest hundred?” he asked, hoping to plant a seed of recklessness in Pant’s mind.Pant answered calmly, “In Test cricket, maybe 80–90 minutes,” referencing the steady pace of his previous centuries.Not content to leave it there, Brook cheekily brought up his own record-breaking knock in the IPL. “The fastest hundred I’ve hit was in 55 balls—you could do that today,” he teased, attempting to prod Pant into playing rash shots.Pant, however, remained unfazed and refused to take the bait. “It’s okay. I’m not too greedy for records. If it happens, it happens,” he replied with a composed smile, shutting down the sledging with quiet confidence.After scoring 25 in the first innings, Pant delivered an entertaining, counter-attacking and crucial 65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes.Now in 28 SENA Tests, Pant has scored 2,023 runs at an average of 41.28, with six centuries and six fifties in 52 innings and a best score of 159*.
In this series, Pant is the second-highest run-getter, with 342 runs in four innings at an average of 85.00 and a strike rate of 81.81, with two centuries and a fifty. His best score is 134.Pant made a stroke-filled 65 off 58 balls with eight fours and three sixes and put on 110 runs for the fourth wicket with Gill.Gill followed up his splendid 269 in the first innings with another massive knock of 161, which came off 162 balls with 13 fours and eight sixes.Jadeja made 69 not out (118 balls, five fours and one six) while adding another 175 runs in a brisk partnership for the fifth wicket with the Indian skipper.India, who resumed the fourth day’s play at 64 for one, had lost KL Rahul (55) and Karun Nair (26) in the first session.
