NZ pacers shatter India's dreams despite Sarfaraz-Pant brilliance

Bengaluru: This Test match has truly been a rollercoaster of emotions. India started off on a disappointing note, being bowled out for just 46 runs by the New Zealand quicks on the opening day. However, they bounced back strongly with a remarkable partnership between Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan, scoring 136 runs together. This was followed by an explosive display by Sarfaraz and Rishabh Pant, adding a further 177 runs to the board. Just when it seemed like India had regained control, they were once again stunned by the second new ball, losing their last seven wickets for a mere 54 runs on Day 4. The unpredictability of Test cricket was truly on display in this match.

Being dismissed for 462 leaves New Zealand with just a 107-run fourth innings target on the final day at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Only twice have lower totals been defended in history and both those occasions were before the 21st century. India may want to seek inspiration from successfully defending 107 runs against Australia in Mumbai in 2004, but that was on a raging turner. This Bengaluru pitch has seen the new ball do most of the damage.

New Zealand will resume as favourites to register only their third Test win on Indian soil – the last one came 36 years ago – but India won’t come without purpose. Having seen the batters bravely wipe out a 356-run deficit, Jasprit Bumrah will come believing that he can deliver a top spell before India’s spin trio gives a shot at weaving magic.

It wasn’t a surprise that India was reluctant to accept the bad light call by the umpires that closed proceedings on day four. Bumrah was getting extravagant movement in his unfinished first over.

Until New Zealand took the second new ball, Sarfaraz and Pant put on a batting exhibition that threatened to turn the Test on its head. Before the two were uprooted, India had levelled scores for the loss of only three wickets. Sarfaraz’s impudence and Pant’s audacity never allowed New Zealand bowlers – spinners and quicks alike – to settle down.

The two set out to bat like they had done earlier in a Duleep Trophy match where they faced a similar situation. “Chalo, fir se karte hai (let’s do it again),” they told each other, Sarfaraz revealed in his media interaction.

There were even moments of madness while running between the wickets for the once India U19 teammates. Sarfaraz was animated, gesticulating, even jumping in panic to catch Pant’s attention to get his partner to get back to the crease, while Pant was ball watching. “I gave the call to run two. Then I realised we had discussed to run carefully because of his knee injury. So, I raised my hand to him not to run, but he was not looking at me. Thank God, bach gaye,” he said.

Maintaining his appetite for scoring big runs, Sarfaraz brought up his maiden Test hundred and went on to score 150 (195b, 18x4, 3x6). Pant was building his own tempo at the other end, targeting the left-arm spinners in particular.

Their 177-run fourth wicket stand was finally ended when Sarfaraz fell trying to take the leather off a Tim Southee delivery but handed a catch at cover. That was the first of the seven remaining wickets the New Zealand pacers picked with the second new ball.

Pant was the next to go, agonisingly missing his hundred by one run when he played on a William O’Rourke delivery from around the wicket that cut back off the seam. It was the seventh instance of Pant being dismissed in the 90s. He has six centuries.

After a long day of toil, O’Rourke came into his own as the new ball began to dictate proceedings. He produced a peach of delivery that caught KL Rahul’s (12) outside edge, to push India back from 408/3 to 438/6 and ultimately 462 all out.

“Overall, I’ve been pretty streaky...hot and cold with the ball. I think Pant and Sarfaraz batted very well for a long time, but that second new ball started doing a little bit for us. So, it was good of Timmy (Southee) getting that first breakthrough and then lucky enough to get a chop on (Pant wicket) to sort of give us a bit of momentum going through,” O’Rourke explained.

If it was Matt Henry who raced through the Indian batting with his five-for in the first innings, O’Rourke got Pant, Rahul and Jadeja in the second essay to bring New Zealand storming back into the match, finishing with match figures of 7/114. The young pacer would fancy a victory, but wasn’t getting ahead of himself. “I wouldn’t say it’s an easy win from here,” he said.

Sarfaraz said: “It’s not an easy wicket to bat. The match is still not out of our hands. The ball is still cutting. If we can get two-three early wickets, they will be in trouble.”