Persistent morning rain delayed play until 1:50 pm, but once underway, a 177-run partnership between Sarfaraz and Pant for the fourth wicket pushed India into the lead.
Bengaluru: A fantastic 150 from Sarfaraz Khan and an exhilarating 99 from Rishabh Pant helped India to 438/6 in 90.2 overs and extend their lead to 82 runs at tea on Day Four of the first Test against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday. But with the duo and K.L. Rahul falling in quick succession, India are effectively 82/6 and New Zealand have fought back their way into the match.
It was a session in which persistent rain disrupted proceedings in the morning, before clearing the way for play to begin at 1:50 pm. From there on, a 177-run partnership between Sarfaraz and Pant for the fourth wicket put India into the lead.
Pant began by smacking, flat-batting and reverse-sweeping to get his early rush of boundaries. After Sarfaraz ramped William O’Rourke for four, Rishabh Pant cut through the gap and went inside-out to collect more boundaries. Sarfaraz drilled Glenn Phillips for a boundary before getting the single taking him to 150 for the first time in Tests.
But in the very next over, Sarfaraz went for a lofted cover drive, but extra bounce from Tim Southee meant the ball lobbed to cover, bringing an end to his wonderful knock, which was laced with 18 fours and three sixes. Pant astonished everyone when he slog-swept Southee for a staggering 107-m six going on the roof at the square-leg boundary.
There was anticipation and nervousness in the crowd eager to see Pant get his hundred, but the wicketkeeper-batsman’s attempt to punch off O’Rourke didn’t account for the extra bounce and rattled the leg-stump, as he got out for 99, his seventh score in the 90s in Tests. O’Rourke again struck at the stroke of tea when Rahul poked at a short-of-length delivery and took an edge behind for New Zealand, who found their mojo back thanks to the second new ball.
Brief scores:
India 46 and 438/6 in 90.2 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 150, Rishabh Pant 99; William O’Rourke 2-75, Ajaz Patel 2-100) lead New Zealand 402 in 91.3 overs by 82 runs
