The Headingley morning opened with a jolt. Just one ball into the fourth day, India lost their captain. Brydon Carse steamed in, kissed the surface with a good-length ball, and sent Rohit Sharma’s stumps flying. It was the kind of start England dreamt of. A wicket early, and the scent of a collapse lingered.
But KL Rahul had other plans.
He didn’t rush. He didn’t flinch. He simply stood tall, batted long, and waited for his moments. On the other end, Rishabh Pant walked in and answered England’s fire with one of his own. He danced down the track and smashed Chris Woakes for a blistering boundary off just his second ball. The message was clear — they weren’t giving in.
Pant kept looking for gaps. Rahul kept soaking up pressure. Woakes probed Rahul with sharp deliveries, but the opener refused to blink. England reviewed in vain, desperate to break through. Harry Brook had a chance to end Rahul’s vigil with a leaping effort at third man — but the ball, like the moment, slipped away.
Runs didn’t flow freely, but India didn’t let go either. Rahul, patient and precise, punched Ben Stokes through the covers to reach into the 70s. Pant, full of flair, kept Bashir at bay before lunch.
By the break, India had stretched their lead to 159. Only 63 runs came in the session — the slowest of the match — but in context, perhaps the most vital.
This wasn’t about fireworks. This was about weathering the storm. England came hard, but Rahul and Pant stood firm, reminding Headingley — and everyone watching — that Test cricket still breathes in patience, in poise, and in quiet resistance.