'Pant's batting has element of sharp cricket brain'

Rishbh Pant played with his signature flamboyance to bring up his 2nd century in the opening Test at Headlingley in Leeds on Monday

IMAGE: Rishbh Pant played with his signature flamboyance to bring up his 2nd century in the opening Test at Headlingley in Leeds on Monday. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images via Reuters

Former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri hailed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's audacious century (118) in the second innings, on Day 4 of the opening Test at Leeds against England.

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Opener KL Rahul (137) and vice-captain Pant shifted the game's dynamics in India's favour by stitching up a 195-run stand, which pushed England back against the wall.

With a blend of flamboyance and calmness, Rahul and Pant enthralled the spectators while adding to England's tantalised, inexperienced bowling attack's woes.

Pant and Rahul's second-innings centuries put India in a dominant position as set England 371 for victory, for an exciting finish on the final day at Leeds.

While Rahul's ton was much more calm, composed and defined by technique, Pant delivered box-office cricket with his aggressive brand of batting.

"Pant has taken the game forward. India will be very happy after a technical masterpiece from Rahul and the flamboyance and exuberance that you can imagine from Pant," Shastri told Sky Sports.

"People say Pant's batting defies logic, but there is an element of a sharp cricket brain behind it. He knows when to counter attack," he added.

Shastri said Pant could have had a double-digit of Test centuries had he converted his seven dismissals in 90s to triple figures.

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant put on a 195-run stand on Day 4

IMAGE: KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant put on a 195-run stand on Day 4. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images via Reuters

Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Atherton didn't mince his words as he lampooned Ben Stokes-led England's tactical ploy against Rahul and Pant on day four of the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds, on Monday.

"England's tactics were unusual at the start of the second session as Stokes went quite defensive, and there were no slips in place. The vast majority of wickets at Headingley come in the slips, and there weren't any when Pant edged two. India pressed the accelerator after that and put the hammer down," Atherton said on Sky Sports.

The rollicking partnership concluded, and England's frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir pulled the curtains down on Pant's knock by luring him to hole the ball straight to Zak Crawley and punched his return ticket on 118 (140).

Rahul soon joined Pant's company in the dressing room after trying to cut the ball but got outplayed by the extra bounce. He got cramped up and gave away an inside edge, which diverted the ball onto his stumps.