IND vs NZ 1st Test Day 4 Report: It was an exciting day of Test cricket in Bengaluru which ended with New Zealand having the upper hand, though India will not put it out of their reach that they can defend the target of 107 runs should all things fall in their favor on day 5.
India had a wicketless first session as Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant mauled the Kiwi bowlers. Sarfaraz notched up his maiden Test century while Pant reached fifty. The duo forged 177 (211) together, but India collapsed as New Zealand pacers bowled superbly with the second new ball.
IND vs NZ 1st Test Day 4 Report:
If New Zealand thought they could break through India’s batting order in the first hour of day 4 after taking the wicket of Virat Kohli on the last ball of day 3, they were in for a huge shock as Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant utterly mauled them.
Two batsmen known for their explosive instincts showed it well and truly to entertain the Chinnaswamy crowd, as the Kiwi fielders were regularly sent to the boundary line to fetch the ball. Until rain arrived at 11 AM to halt the show, Pant and Sarfaraz had whacked 113* runs off 132 balls, with the right-hander reaching his maiden Test century and the left-hander notching up his 18th Test fifty, the joint second-most for an Indian wicket-keeper.
Sarfaraz unleashed his now-trademark uppercuts, ramps, and dabs towards third-man fence for half-a-dozen boundaries in that region, mounting to the frustrations of Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain. Pant, on the other end, danced down to smoke Ajaz Patel a couple of times for maximums.
After a rain break of over two hours, India wanted to continue with the momentum as Pant walloped a six and a four to Rachin Ravindra who was targeting the rough outside the left-hander’s off-stump.
India were in the lead by now and Pant’s confidence was ballooning as he muscled the Kiwi spinners regardless of the rough and the direction of the turn. Sweeps, slogs, inside-out, backfoot and frontfoot shots, he used them all.
Also Read: IND vs NZ 1st Test Day 4 Highlights
Sarfaraz raised his 150. Pant slogged a six on the Chinnaswamy roof when on 90*. However, as India were looking to swell their lead, the tide changed as New Zealand made three quick dents with the new ball. Southee had Sarfaraz caught at extra cover before Pant chopped on O’Rourke onto his stumps on 99. The lanky seamer found KL Rahul’s edge right before Tea to send India in worry once again.
The new ball brought India’s downfall as they lost the remaining wickets after Tea. The Kiwi pacers took India’s last six wickets in less than 20 overs with the new ball. India got bowled out for 462, setting up a target of 107 for the visitors.
Dark clouds started forming over the Chinnaswamy as the Kiwi openers strode out. And after only four balls of the first over from Jasprit Bumrah, the umpires took the players off and early stumps was called due to bad light.
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