Virender Sehwag's 85 in 2008 Chennai Test talked about, Rishabh Pant backed to emulate him

India have a mammoth target of 420 to chase down in the ongoing India vs England 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At the end of play on Day 4, India were 39/1 with opener Rohit Sharma back in the hut and the hosts still need another 381 runs to secure a record win. The Indian batsmen will have to do something miraculous to pull off the chase on a Day 5 Chepaul wicket that is turning and bouncing as play progresses.

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Fans recall Virender Sehwag's epic start from historic 2008 Chennai Test

Notably, India chased a similar sort of target in 2008 against the same opposition at the same venue. The home team was set a massive target of 387 by England and it looked like the Indian team was down and out of the contest. However, Indian batsmen did the unthinkable and chased the target down on the back of Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 103 and six wickets to spare.

The foundation of the chase was laid by opener Virender Sehwag whose scintillating start ensured that India began the run chase on the front foot. Sehwag bludgeoned 83 off just 68 balls with 11 fours and four sixes. Gautam Gambhir (66) and Yuvraj Singh (85*) also chipped in with useful contributions.

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After Day 4 of the India vs England 1st Test ended, Sehwag's name started trending on Twitter. Several reactions poured in as fans recalled Sehwag's blistering start to the chase and expected Indian to have a similar start in the ongoing Test. A certain section of fans also showed belief in Rishabh Pant expecting him to emulate his heroics from the recently concluded Gabba Test. Let's take a look at a few reactions.

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India vs England live score update

After gaining a massive lead of 241, England scored runs at a brisk rate and were eventually bowled out for 178. Skipper Joe Root top-scored with 40 whereas Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers for India with sensational figures of 6/11. India didn't have the best of starts to their second innings as they lost opener, Rohit Sharma, for 12. At Stumps on Day 4, India's scoreboard read 39/1 with the hosts needing another 381 runs on the final day. India have a herculean task in front of them to survive the final day on a turning Chepauk pitch. England, on the other hand, need 9 wickets to go 1-0 up in the series.

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SOURCE: ICC TWITTER