Captain Shubman Gill and the ever-dependable K L Rahul gave India a glimmer of hope with resilient half-centuries after a well crafted hundred from Ben Stokes extended England's supremacy in the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday.
Former cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton lampooned England's top order for their early collapse
Only once in the history of Test cricket has a team bounced back to win after being bowled out for less than 50.
In summary, excluding the inactive innings, his recent conversion record reads rather poor with no half-centuries since his eminent legendary debut knock.
Post-lunch, Pant brought up his half-century with a single before launching his third maximum, cementing his reputation as one of the game's most fearless stroke-makers in red-ball cricket.
After hundreds upon hundreds of runs on flat tracks in the ongoing series so far, it took the green top at The Oval to finally produce the best day of the Indian summer, on the fifth and last Friday of the Test series.
'That is something I really wanted, to have six bowling options and then batting till No. 8 as well.'
'Hussain was baffled by England's top three approach on Edgbaston's flat surface when the ball was slightly swinging.
'I just think we'll find another way to do it.'
That said the pitch is going to get challenging for the batters as the game wears on.
'Watching him bat this innings is like watching the MCC coaching manual in action.'
Fired-up England reduced India to 58/4 chasing 193 for victory in a highly-charged final session on day four on Sunday as a gripping third Test at Lord's.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struck unbeaten centuries as India staged a superb fightback on the final day to draw the fourth Test against England.
Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
India equal England's first-innings score of 387 with Test in balance
Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test in Manchester.
ndia will be very happy after a technical masterpiece from Rahul and the flamboyance and exuberance that you can imagine from Pant
Yashasvi Jaiswal was "disappointed" on missing a century by a whisker, but amazed by Test captain Shubman Gill's "incredible" effort that powered India to a comfortable position at the end of the opening day of the second Test against England, at Edgbaston, on Wednesday.
A South African side missing several regulars will resume on 49 for one on the third morning after Zimbabwe made 251 in reply to the tourists' first-innings score of 418 for nine declared.
Spinners became India's worst nightmare in their first bilateral series defeat against Sri Lanka since 1997.
Former England batter Jonathan Trott impressed by India skipper's Gill's poise on Day 1 of 2nd Test.
Virat Kohli's subdued 17 off 69 balls extended his lean patch in the series.
'Very very pleasing (with the way the series went). We knew there would be challenges that we could face.'
India finished Day 3 on 90/2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings.
I expected seam and swing in England but on tracks like these only discipline helps: Akash Deep
Mohammed Siraj's sensational catch to dismiss Shakib Al Hasan off Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling stunned everyone watching at the Green Park stadium.
Stokes praises incredibly skillful Akash Deep, says task was to bat out 80 overs
India's experienced opener KL Rahul expressed admiration for vice-captain Rishabh Pant and his dream to replicate the dynamic southpaw's play style following their record-breaking exploits on Day 3 of the third Test against England at Lord's.
His performance in Pune was a powerful response to his recent struggles in the Ranji Trophy, where he had been dismissed for ducks in both innings during Mumbai's loss to Jammu and Kashmir.
Washington Sundar's double strike pegged England back in the afternoon session, leaving them struggling 175/6 at tea on Day 4 of the third Test, at Lord's.
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
'When you leave, you want to leave the team in better place'
India head coach Gautam Gambhir said his team is still searching for that "perfect game" despite entering the Champions Trophy final with an all-win record. He is hopeful that it will come in the summit clash on Sunday.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
Shubman Gill has not just scored a double hundred; he's rewritten the record books.
The captain, who had switched positions to number six, once again fell prey to Pat Cummins, edging a delivery to Alex Carey for just 10 off 27 balls in another unconvincing innings.
Gill overcame cramp to make 87 and take India close to the finish line on a two-paced, turning wicket at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium after Axar Patel scored 52 in a 108-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Another India lower-order collapse gave England a fighting chance of a thrilling victory in the first Test at Headingley on Monday, with the hosts 21/0 in their second innings at the close of play on day four, chasing 371 to win.
Led by Shubman Gill, a defiant India put on a mentally strong and technically disciplined response to keep the series alive with England 2-1 up. While there were plenty of positives to take forward, a few concerns continue to linger as the series heads to a decider at The Oval.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the third Test match between England and India at Lord's, London, on Thursday.
