India’s target set, England’s task clear. After KL Rahul’s measured 137 and Rishabh Pant’s second ton of the match, the visitors declared, leaving England 371 to win. They ticked off 21 of those by stumps, so 350 remain on a surface Rahul reckons is behaving nothing like the first morning.
“I think the first two days, being as hot as it was, the pitch has taken a bit of beating,” he told Jiostar once play wrapped up. “The crack seems like it’s opening up. There’s a bit of rough there, and the wicket is really dry. Mostly, it’s like a subcontinent wicket on day five.”
That comparison matters. Indian batters are brought up on dry, tired surfaces, while English chases of anything over 300 are rare. Still, Rahul is wary of England’s modern approach. “Day five wicket won’t be as easy, but knowing how England play and their style of cricket, they’re going to come hard and try and score boundaries and try and score runs as quickly as possible. We need to keep that in the back of our heads and try and bowl as straight as we can. Try and be patient and really not give them those boundaries, make them earn their runs. It should be a very interesting day.”
The match had been level when day four began. India, two down overnight and 96 ahead, lost Rohit Sharma early in what finally felt like Leeds in June: low cloud, bit of nip, proper swing. Runs dried up – just 28 in the first hour – yet Rahul and Pant withheld the new-ball spell, setting the base for a decisive lead.
“It was very different this morning,” Rahul admitted. “It almost felt like it was the first time we were actually in English conditions. The ball was seeming around, it was overcast. There was a bit happening from the wicket.
“The first couple of days when we batted, there wasn’t much. There was a bit of swing in the air, but nothing off the pitch. But this morning it was a really good spell. I just felt like I needed to play tighter and make sure that we don’t lose too many wickets and make sure that I kill the first session. I was trying to play as straight as possible. At least defend as straight as possible.”
That strategy produced Rahul’s third Test hundred in England, a patient knock peppered with trademark cover-drives once the shine softened. Pant, as ever, operated on his own frequency. Rahul laughed when asked about coaching his team-mate through the partnership: “When Rishabh walks in, you just let him be.”
Preparation, the opener believes, has been key. A fortnight before the series he featured for India A against England Lions at Worcester. The run-out, he said, tuned him back to red-ball rhythms. “[I felt if] I get some time to spend in the middle, it would be really good just to bat against the Dukes ball, just get used to the cold conditions and windy conditions and just spend some time leaving a few balls and just getting that tempo again of playing Test cricket,” he explained. “That really helped me come here early and adjust to the conditions. Just get that tempo right and feel comfortable wearing the whites again and getting used to seeing the red ball coming at me.
“That really helped me in terms of prep, and obviously, I’ve been here before, I’ve played a few Test series here. So I knew what to expect, but again, every series is different. This time the bowlers are different, the conditions are different, so it was just about switching on and trying to do the simple things right and yeah, coming here early really helped me.”
England start the final day with all ten wickets intact. India, armed with a dry ball, rough outside the right-hander’s off stump and enough runs on the board, fancy their chances. Rahul’s final assessment was brief, but apt: a “very interesting” last act awaits.
