Rishabh Pant’s maiden ODI century helped India beat England in the third and final ODI at Old Trafford, Manchester on Sunday. His unbeaten knock of 125 off just 113 balls aided the Men in Blue chase down a tricky 260-run target with five wickets in hand and 47 balls to spare.
Pant showcased a powerpack performance with 16 fours and 2 sixes. His innings rescued pulled the visitors out of a tough spot of 21/2 with both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma back in the hut. Even the likes of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav couldn’t back him well and were dismissed cheaply.
India were reeling at 72/4 when Pant and Hardik Pandya formed a 133-run partnership for the fifth wicket. The latter played an aggressive innings of 71 off 55, including 10 fours. However, the dup couldn’t end the show together as the all-rounder fell prey to Brydon Carse.
Following Pandya’s departure, the wicketkeeper-batter shifted gears and cruised towards his maiden ODI ton and ensured India’s victory.
Pant’s innings reflected his maturity on the pitch. Former India batter Virender Sehwag heaped praise on the youngster, highlighting the southpaw’s ability to raise his game in series deciders.
“Last match of a series and @RishabhPant17 playing brilliantly – this is a better love story than twilight. Incredible innings from an incredible player – with great support from Hardik and Jadeja. #IndvsEng,” Sehwag tweeted.
Last match of a series and @RishabhPant17 playing brilliantly – this is a better love story than twilight.
The scintillating performance in the third ODI against England is not the first time that Pant has shown in a series-decider. He had also played an unbeaten knock of 89 at the famous Gabba Test, helping India win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 in 2020-21. In fact, his maiden Test century also came in the final game of the series, back in 2018, against England.
Pant will now return to action in the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies, beginning July 29. He has been given a rest by the BCCI for the 3 ODIs in the Caribbean. Apart from Pant, the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will also not feature in the ODI series.
In the absence of Rohit, his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan will lead the Indian side while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be the latter’s deputy.
‘Better Love Story Than Twilight’: Ex-IND Batter in Awe of Pant’s Ability of Scoring Big in Series Deciders
Rishabh Pant’s maiden ODI century helped India beat England in the third and final ODI at Old Trafford, Manchester on Sunday. His unbeaten knock of 125 off just 113 balls aided the Men in Blue chase down a tricky 260-run target with five wickets in hand and 47 balls to spare.
Pant showcased a powerpack performance with 16 fours and 2 sixes. His innings rescued pulled the visitors out of a tough spot of 21/2 with both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma back in the hut. Even the likes of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav couldn’t back him well and were dismissed cheaply.
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India were reeling at 72/4 when Pant and Hardik Pandya formed a 133-run partnership for the fifth wicket. The latter played an aggressive innings of 71 off 55, including 10 fours. However, the dup couldn’t end the show together as the all-rounder fell prey to Brydon Carse.
Following Pandya’s departure, the wicketkeeper-batter shifted gears and cruised towards his maiden ODI ton and ensured India’s victory.
Pant’s innings reflected his maturity on the pitch. Former India batter Virender Sehwag heaped praise on the youngster, highlighting the southpaw’s ability to raise his game in series deciders.
“Last match of a series and @RishabhPant17 playing brilliantly – this is a better love story than twilight. Incredible innings from an incredible player – with great support from Hardik and Jadeja. #IndvsEng,” Sehwag tweeted.
The scintillating performance in the third ODI against England is not the first time that Pant has shown in a series-decider. He had also played an unbeaten knock of 89 at the famous Gabba Test, helping India win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 in 2020-21. In fact, his maiden Test century also came in the final game of the series, back in 2018, against England.
Pant will now return to action in the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies, beginning July 29. He has been given a rest by the BCCI for the 3 ODIs in the Caribbean. Apart from Pant, the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will also not feature in the ODI series.
In the absence of Rohit, his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan will lead the Indian side while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be the latter’s deputy.
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