Sarfaraz Khan struck a majestic 150 while Rishabh Pant made a brisk 99 as India were all out for 462 in their second innings, setting New Zealand a target of 107 on day four of the opening Test in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Just when New Zealand came out to bat late in the final session, rain brought an early end to the day’s play with the visitors playing just four balls in the second innings, with openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway yet to open their accounts.
Sarfaraz’s maiden hundred and Pant’s innings offered hope for India, but their dismissals led to a swift decline for the hosts. Resuming at 438 for six after tea, India lost their final four wickets — Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandra Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj — in quick succession, ending their innings in 99.3 overs.
At tea, India were at 438 for six, holding an 82-run lead. Due to rain, there was a nearly two-hour delay, including a 40-minute lunch break, while India had previously trailed New Zealand by 12 runs in their second innings.
India were all out for just 46 in their first innings, while New Zealand responded with 402.
The sight of Pant walking out to bat in the first session in itself was soothing as he had missed the whole of third day because of the blow he copped on the knee while ‘keeping.
Pant understandably made a slightly gingerly start and was even involved in a mix-up with Sarfaraz, saved only by an erratic throw at stumps by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Once swam past that period, Pant was unstoppable, clobbering left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel for a couple of six.
The left-hander soon brought up his fifty off just 55 balls with a thumping cover drive off Glenn Phillips before rain halted his march.
Despite the break, Pant started the middle session with confidence, biffing left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra for a couple of sixes over the covers.
There were a couple of jittery moments for him but DRS saved him on both the occasions – once from an appeal for a bat-boot catch and once from a caught-behind appeal.
However, those blips did not affect his concentration and gradually began playing those shots exclusively crafted in the Pant manufacturing unit.
He sashayed and pirouetted around the crease to find all possible angles and the Kiwis bowlers were a clueless lot in finding an ideal line and length against him.
The prime example was an amazing slog swept six off Tim Southee that sailed over the mid-wicket fence as the pacer tried to pitch it full searching for swing.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz, at the other end, chugged to a 150 after reaching his maiden Test hundred during the first session of the day, which he celebrated with unbridled joy.
His batting too was far from conventional, dishing out a melange of late cuts to accumulate his runs. In that sense, the Mumbai man’s brusque batsmanship has a close resemblance to Pant’s.
However, both of them departed in rather quick succession as Kiwis applied break on India’s free-scoring ways.
Pant was played on to William O’Rourke while Sarfaraz scooped Southee to Ajaz Patel. The dismissal of KL Rahul further pegged India back.
