Rain played spoilsport to force an early lunch on day four of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. At the time of interruption, India reached 344/3 in 71 overs and trail New Zealand by just 12 runs, thanks to a maiden Test ton by Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant's 12th fifty in the format.
Rain stayed as the primary protagonists in the city as the fourth day of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday stayed washed out due to rain which forced an early lunch. At the time of the interruption, India had reached 344/3 in 71 overs and trail New Zealand by just 12 runs, thanks to a maiden Test ton by Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant's 12th fifty in the format.
Resuming from 70, Sarfaraz continued to be audacious in his approach and peppered the square boundary on the off-side with tons of cheeky backfoot cuts and slices to be unbeaten on 125. Pant has well-complemented him, unleashing his aggressive self after a brief period of patience, with the wicketkeeper-batter being 53 not out.
The unbroken 113-run partnership between Sarfaraz and Pant, who did play for the India U19 team in the 2016 U19 World Cup, ensures that the Indians still have a slight chance at conjuring up an unlikely win, provided the rain gods make way quickly. With dark clouds hovering in the morning, Sarfaraz gave William O'Rourke a couple of cuts on the off-side to begin the day's play. Coming in next took another four shots and sent Matt Henry packing for two more boundaries.
There was a monumental mix-up between the two which could well have sent Pant walking back when halfway down the pitch, if Tom Blundell had not shanked his throw at the stumps. Thereafter, Pant received a mistimed loft of Henry over mid-on for four, and Sarfaraz reached his hundred in dominating fashion - a backfoot punch off Southee cleared the in-field for four - the right-handed batter running while holding his bat high and his hands aloft. He then took off the helmet, roared and swung the bat delightfully, before getting a bear hug from Pant, as the stadium was up on its feet to applaud an incredible knock under pressure. While Sarfaraz was just padding and dabbing his way to get more boundaries, Pant started cutting loose by smashing Southee for six and four respectively. He then showed good footwork in slamming Ajaz Patel for two mighty sixes, before getting to overturn a lbw decision as replays showed a big inside edge.
New Zealand followed it with burning a review on the very next ball as Pant got bat on the skiddy delivery. Pant then scored two more boundaries off Patel and Glenn Phillips to take his score to fifty in 55 balls, thus scuffing all the queries raised about his fitness after he hobbled off the field on day two with the right knee hit while he was on wicketkeeping duties.
Brief scores: India 46 and 344/3 (Sarfaraz Khan 125, Virat Kohli 70, Rishabh Pant 53; Ajaz Patel 2-100) trail New Zealand 402 (Rachin Ravindra 134, Devon Conway 91; Ravindra Jadeja 3-72) by 12 runs.
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