India vs New Zealand 2024/25, IND vs New Zealand 1st Test Match Report, October 16-20, 2024

India 46 and 344 for 3 (Sarfaraz 125*, Pant 53*) Trail New Zealand 402 x 12 runs

India’s march back from 46 all-outs continued at astonishing pace as Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant added an unbeaten 113 runs in the 22 possible overs till lunch. India were now just 12 runs behind New Zealand and had seven wickets in hand with the delicious prospect of bowling last to put the batters under pressure.

Sarfaraz scored his maiden Test century late and Pant, recovering from the injury to his surgically repaired knee in a life-threatening accident, scored an unbeaten half-century. Combined, the two were a real threat to captain Tom Latham. They had little regard for fielding, showed no fear of making mistakes and the New Zealand bowlers once again failed to give Latham control. The biggest disappointment was Ajaz Patel, who turned the ball over less than part-time player Rachin Ravindra, who bowled just one ball before rain cut short the session.

India’s response to wickets on the third day was to counter immediately, but that would be put to the test after they lost Virat Kohli with the last ball of the day. Sarfaraz needed just six balls to restore his cheek: a casual ramp off Will O’Rourke’s first ball of the day. When they reinforced the field with a deep third and a deep point, Sarfaraz still split them in half.

It seemed like the seam bowlers wanted to catch Sarfaraz lbw, but that only continued to give him easy singles to the leg side. As the keeper got to the stumps, Pant rooted to the crease and the visitors were rewarded with a lead, but the dying pitcher didn’t get enough chances to carry it. Just in the eighth over of the day, Sarfaraz Southee hit deep cover for what would have been a single for any other batter, but he had sent all the fielders back with his late cuts. The border brought out an emotional hundred.

Pant was just warming up. Ajaz received a kick from the rough, but the glove absorbed much of the impact and the ball went straight to the ground. He now decided he had to attack and beat Southee from his crease for a straight six. In a dramatic over from Ajaz, he hit two sixes, surpassing Kapil Dev’s tally of 61 sixes. Now there are only five Indians ahead of him. He then survived an inside edge and an outside edge in the same over. The inside throw saved him from an LBW and his back pad prevented New Zealand from taking a catch from the outside edge. Pant still managed to hit another four in the over, India’s 47th boundary, more than the runs they scored in the first innings.

Apart from Southee, Glenn Phillips was the only one who could give New Zealand some control, but he too bowled a full toss to take Pant to his half-century. New Zealand made just 25 errors in 22 overs, which is not high considering their attacking approach. In any case, they had lost the right to have attacking fielders who could capitalize on these mistakes. The edges didn’t wear either.

The only time New Zealand got to a wicket was a run-out chance at Pant’s end, but Tom Blundell excused it for the second time in the game by leaving his base to collect a long toss, seemingly without one to be aware of the opportunity at its end. At that time, Pant had scored just six points.

Half an hour before the scheduled lunch break, the rain came as a relief for New Zealand. Lunch was finally eaten at 11:20 a.m., ten minutes earlier than usual.