England clearly was the better team in the first session on day three. Despite losing two wickets, they added over 100 runs to their overnight tally, with Harry Brook completing his first fifty of the series.
Not entirely happy with the denied request for a ball change midway through day three of the Leeds Test, Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant threw the ball in frustration in front of the umpire, leading to an unpleasant sight for cricket fans. Pant, who completed his third Test hundred on English soil on day two, made headlines for showing frustration over the on-field umpire’s call during England’s first innings. The moment occurred during the 63rd over when Pant approached on-field official Paul Reiffel with a complaint regarding the ball’s shape. Following a close look at it, the umpire denied his request, asking Indian bowlers to continue bowling with the same ball.
That rejection, however, didn’t seem to sit well with Pant, who threw the ball away in frustration, with seamer Jasprit Bumrah also joining the conversation later on. Despite being approached persistently with a request for a ball change, Reiffel denied it altogether. Siraj, who was bowling that over, continued with the same ball. He later picked up Ben Stokes’ wicket, caught behind on 20.
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Meanwhile, England clearly was the better team in the first session on day three. Despite losing two wickets, they added over 100 runs to their overnight tally, with Harry Brook completing his first fifty of the series.
England started day three with centurion Ollie Pope and Brook at the crease. After hitting a few fours early on, Pope edged one to the keeper off Prasidh Krishna on 106. Stokes joined Brook in the middle, and the pair began stitching a stand, dominating India.
Several boundaries, some classy and daring ones against Bumrah, had India on the back foot; however, following this Pant incident, the Indian quicks bowled with more fire, resulting in Stokes' wicket.
Soon after, Brook and Jamie Smith continued with England’s Bazball style, hitting boundaries for fun. Shortly before lunch was taken on day three, Brook completed his fifty – his first of this five-match Test series.
Meanwhile, Pant created history on day two at Headingley, when he surpassed the veteran MS Dhoni’s Test century tally (6), with his seventh Test hundred, his third in the UK – the most by any touring keeper before.