In a high-stakes clash at the cricket grounds in Bengaluru, the Indian batting lineup displayed commendable resilience, rallying behind a spectacular partnership between Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant to gain an advantage over New Zealand. On what turned out to be a challenging day for bowlers, India ended their innings at 438 for 6, securing an 82-run lead over New Zealand with four sessions still to be played in the first Test match.
After a brief interruption that saw an early Lunch and a late start to the post-Lunch session on Saturday, the Indian batsmen returned to the crease with palpable intent, determined to build on their momentum. Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant, both fluent and focused, resumed the innings. Their approach was calculative yet assertive, allowing them to dictate terms right from the onset. Even when slowed down by a spread-out field, they cleverly rotated the strike and chose their moments to go for boundaries. Sarafaraz, inventive in his shot selection, found gaps to pierce the boundary ropes, while Pant challenged the New Zealand fielders with commanding strokes.
As the session progressed, the Indian duo looked comfortable, especially against the old ball. They forged a formidable 177-run partnership, essentially wiping out the first innings deficit and putting New Zealand on the back foot. However, the dynamic changed nearly 45 minutes before the scheduled Tea break when the second new ball was introduced. Tim Southee, leading New Zealand’s bowling attack, managed to generate significant bounce and movement, testing the batsmen’s patience and technique. Sarfaraz, who was displaying supreme confidence, attempted an aggressive drive early against Southee. While initially equal to the task of the swinging ball, he eventually fell victim to Southee’s craft, edging the ball to the cover fielder shortly after reaching his 150, marking his 11th first-class milestone.
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Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, was in sight of yet another Test century. Taking full advantage of the field settings, he continued accumulating runs, including a remarkable slogswept six off Southee that exemplified his fearless style of play. Unfortunately, his pursuit of the century was halted just one run short when he inside-edged a delivery from William O’Rourke onto his stumps, leaving him visibly disappointed.
With Pant’s departure, KL Rahul came in but his stay was short-lived. Entering the fray from a long wait in the dressing room, Rahul managed to edge a catching delivery to the wicketkeeper right at the stroke of Tea, marking another breakthrough for New Zealand in what had largely been a session dominated by India’s batsmen.
Earlier, Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant had already set the tone for the day with an aggressive display in the morning session initially disrupted by rain. Scoring an impressive 113 runs with flair and control, they managed to reduce the deficit to a mere 12 runs by Lunch, providing a solid foundation for the team as they built their innings into a commanding position. This pair’s partnership was nearly flawless, marred by just a couple of appeals for leg-before decisions against Pant and an untapped run-out chance by New Zealand.
Sarfaraz Khan, in particular, made the most of deliveries slightly outside the offstump, showcasing his full range of batting strokes with authority – punching, cutting, and lofting the balls with precision en route to his maiden Test century.
India, now at 438/6, holds a definitive edge with the scoreboard pressure mounting on New Zealand, who had earlier set a target of 402 with noteworthy contributions from Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway. Ravindra Jadeja was India’s standout bowler in the first innings, picking up 3 crucial wickets for 72 runs. Nonetheless, as the Test match narrative unfolds with four sessions still to play, both teams are expected to make strategic tweaks to reclaim the momentum in this enthralling cricket contest.
Brief scores: India 46 and 438/6 (Sarfaraz Khan 150, Rishabh Pant 99; William O’Rourke 2-75) lead New Zealand 402 (Rachin Ravindra 134, Devon Conway 91; Ravindra Jadeja 3-72) by 82 runs.