India's centurions delivered at a pivotal moment in the first of the five-game ICC World Test Championship series against England.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant led India’s charge with the bat, scoring vital centuries to put the tourists in a favourable position on Day 4 in Leeds.
After starting the day at just 96 ahead, and having lost a third wicket in their second innings early on, India were stabilised by Pant, who combined alongside Rahul to add 195 runs for the fourth wicket.
The stand was India's highest-ever partnership for the fourth wicket during their second innings of a Test match in England.
Overall, it was India's fourth-best performance for the fourth wicket in England. Incidentally, the three stands above them have also come in Leeds, with Pant and Shubman Gill's stand of 205 from the first innings of this game sitting at number three.
The Indian team also made history at Headingley in the series opener, with five centuries scored in a Test match.
This is only the sixth time that this milestone has been achieved in Test cricket.
The Test at Leeds has been a run-fest for Team India as they were all out for 364 in the last session on Day 4 of the first Test, setting England 371 for victory.
In the first innings, a triple treat of centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101 in 159 balls, with 16 fours), skipper Shubman Gill (147 in 227 balls, with 19 fours and a six) and Rishabh Pant (134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes) powered India to 471.
After England's strong reply that left India's lead to just six runs, KL Rahul, who missed out on a fifty in the first innings, got his big one too, while Pant became India's first wicketkeeper-batter with twin Test tons, scoring 118 in 140 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes.
India also became only the second side to do have five centuries in an away Test. Australia was the first to do so, attaining the milestone against the West Indies in Kingston in 1955.
That feat was in fact even more brilliant as all five centuries by Australians came in just one innings -- Colin McDonald (127), Neil Harvey (204), Keith Miller (109), Ron Archer (128) and Richie Benaud (121), powering Aussies to 758/8 declared. Australia won that match by an innings margin.
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