BENGALURU: A dramatic batting collapse on Day 4 of the first Test, saw India bowled out on 462 after Sarfaraz Khan’s marathon knock as New Zealand set to chase a modest total.
Set to chase a meagre target, New Zealand captain Tom Latham and Devon Conway came out to bat in the dying minutes of an action-packed day of the opening Test but only managed to bat four deliveries and scored no runs as bad light forced an early closure.
Earlier in the day, the home side resumed their second innings at 231/3, through fifty-up Sarfaraz and unmarked wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant.
The duo dominated New Zealand bowlers and scored at a brisk rate amid their 177-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The Kiwi bowlers, who had been at the receiving end since the start of the penultimate day, saw a change in fortune after the second new ball was taken.
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Experienced pacer Tim Southee made the most of the new ball and got rid of threatening Sarfaraz soon after the latter amassed the 150-run mark.
Young pacer William O’Rourke bolstered New Zealand’s comeback with the ball by dismissing the other set batter, Rishabh Pant.
Pant had an agonizing end to his brilliant knock as he was cleaned up on 99.
The back-to-back dismissals triggered a dramatic collapse as the home side lost their remaining five wickets and could add 29 more runs to the total.
Matt Henry and O’Rourke co-led New Zealand’s bowling charge in the second innings against India with three wickets each.
Ajaz Patel contributed with two wickets while Southee and Glenn Phillips made one scalp apiece.
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