IND vs NZ 1st Test: India’s batting resurgence falters as New Zealand need 107 for victory

India's chase stumbles. NZ needs 107 to win (Image BCCI)

India buried the ghosts of their first innings by piling up 462 in their second, led by a superb 150 from Sarfaraz Khan and a sparkling 99 from Rishabh Pant. At 408/3, India looked set to post a formidable target for New Zealand, but the introduction of the second new ball triggered a collapse, with the visitors reducing India from 408/3 to 462 all out, claiming the last seven wickets for just 54 runs. Bad light and persistent rain brought an early close to the day. New Zealand will need 107 runs to win on the final day.

At the start of the day, India was still trailing New Zealand by 125 runs. Virat Kohli’s dismissal on the final ball of Day 3 had tilted the momentum in New Zealand’s Favour, but the morning session saw a turn of events that completely shifted the dynamics of the match.

Sarfaraz Khan hits 150, Rishabh Pant falls one short of ton: India’s fightback in Bangalore Test wins hearts

Yesterday, four wickets fell in the morning session. On a new day, New Zealand aimed to trigger a similar collapse as India had, but in their pursuit of wickets, they ended up conceding a lot of runs.

Sarfaraz, who was already set, took on the responsibility of scoring quickly, allowing the new batter, Pant, time to assess the conditions before attacking the bowling. Both batters were a bit slow to get going, but Sarfaraz found his rhythm early, using upper cuts and ramps towards deep point and third man to accumulate runs. Gradually, Pant also settled in, and after finding a boundary, he began to pick up runs with ease. Sarfaraz got to his century and continued to score the boundaries, while Pant got back to his attacking best and took down spin and pace alike.

A brief rain delay didn’t break India’s momentum, and when play resumed, the pair capitalised on the worn ball and defensive field settings. They kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace, with Pant particularly adept at finding gaps, quickly reducing the deficit and building a lead. Their aggressive approach after lunch shifted the momentum in India’s favour, leaving New Zealand searching for answers.

Aside from a few minor hiccups, they looked largely untroubled. Early in their partnership, a miscommunication almost resulted in Pant's dismissal, but he escaped with some luck and went on to reach his half-century. From that point, the boundaries came more frequently.

However, just as India seemed to be cruising, the second new ball swung the game back in New Zealand’s favour. The fresh ball created new challenges for the set pair, and shortly after Sarfaraz reached a superb 150, he mistimed a shot, giving New Zealand a crucial breakthrough and ending their 177-run stand. Pant kept up his attacking play, supported by KL Rahul, who looked composed at the crease.

But just as India appeared to be heading into Tea without further loss, the return of William O'Rourke dramatically changed things. O’Rourke struck a major blow by dismissing Pant just one run short of his century on 99. Moments later, Rahul also fell to the same bowler, leaving India reeling and handing New Zealand a crucial edge going into the final session. Post tea break, the remaining four wickets fell in no real time, with Matt Henry bagging three of them