Bengaluru, Oct 19 (PTI) India continued their extraordinary turnaround in opening Test against New Zealand with Sarfaraz Khan striking his maiden Test hundred to take India to 344 for three at lunch on the fourth day, here Saturday.
Sarfaraz (125, 154b) and Rishabh Pant (53, 56b) were at crease when an early lunch was taken due to rain. The duo milked 113 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket in just 22 overs.
India, resuming from 231/3 and 125 behind, now trail only by 12 runs.
The sight of Rishabh Pant walking out to bat with Sarfaraz too might have calmed a lot of nerves in the Indian dressing room after the former missed the third day's play due to a blow he copped on his knee on the second day while ‘keeping.
There was hardly any doubt about the hero of the first session.
Playing in only his fifth Test, the Mumbai man, resuming from 70, tamed overcast conditions and New Zealand bowlers in impeccable fashion as India added 63 runs ahead of the first drinks break.
A good chunk of it came from Sarfaraz’s bat and the way he nullified the Kiwis pacers through late cuts was just exceptional.
In fact, 40 out of his first 100 runs came in the arc between point and third man through a melange of late cuts.
When the spinners were introduced, Sarfaraz used sweeps and nudges between square leg and fine leg to collect his runs. He made 39 runs in that region.
Tom Latham struggled to keep a proper field for him as Sarfaraz controlled the proceedings like a puppet master.
The landmark moment came through a polished backfoot punch through covers for a boundary off Tim Southee. Sarfaraz ran around the field and jumped in joy.
At the other end, Pant understandably made a slightly gingerly start and was even involved in a mix-up with Sarfaraz, saved only by an erratic throw at stumps by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
But once he swam past that period, Pant was unstoppable, clobbering left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel for a couple of sixes. He also began to give more confident support to Sarfaraz.
The left-hander soon brought up his fifty off just 55 balls with a thumping cover drive off Glenn Phillips as India added 113 runs without losing a wicket till the skies opened up at 11.01am to stop the proceedings.