The free-flowing willow of Rishabh Pant put India on the ascendency on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali on Friday.
At multiple points, India had looked like taking the upper hand, only for the contest to be reset through timely wickets from the visitors. But Pant’s belligerent 97-ball 96 (9x4, 4x6) transformed the match situation, leaving the host at a healthy 357 for six on a wicket that took turn pretty early.
During the first half of his innings, Pant was busy without being overtly extravagant, bringing up his half-century off 73 balls. But immediately after, he went berserk, smashing left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya and offie Dhananjaya de Silva for 43 runs in just 13 balls, including three sixes and five fours.
