Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant Shine in Bengaluru Test Against New Zealand
In Bengaluru, India, Sarfaraz Khan celebrated his first Test century on the fourth day of the Test match against New Zealand. His impressive performance, along with Rishabh Pant, led to a crucial 177-run partnership, boosting India’s second innings total significantly.
During the post-day press conference, Sarfaraz discussed the strategic talks he had with Pant. They decided to adopt an aggressive approach, reminiscent of their successful days in the Duleep Trophy at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they had a 240-run partnership for India B against India A. This strategy was key in countering New Zealand’s bowling.
India started the day with uncertainty after losing Virat Kohli for 70. However, Sarfaraz and Pant stabilized the innings, drawing from their past experiences to launch a strong counter-attack. Sarfaraz’s innings of 150 marked his first Test century and was central to India’s recovery. Pant, narrowly missing his century with 99, played a vital role too.
Their efforts helped India post a total of 462 runs, setting New Zealand a target of 107 runs. Despite losing four wickets quickly post-tea, the foundation laid by Sarfaraz and Pant ensured a competitive score. The Indian innings ended in 99.3 overs, leaving New Zealand with a challenging task on the final day. India aims to defend their score and secure a memorable victory.
Doubts Revealed
Sarfaraz Khan -: Sarfaraz Khan is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian national team. He is known for his batting skills and has recently made a significant impact in Test cricket.
Rishabh Pant -: Rishabh Pant is a young and talented Indian cricketer known for his aggressive batting style. He is a wicketkeeper-batsman and plays for the Indian national team.
Bengaluru Test -: The Bengaluru Test refers to a cricket match played in Bengaluru, a city in India. Test matches are a format of cricket that last up to five days.
New Zealand -: New Zealand is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. In cricket, they have a national team that competes internationally, including against India.
Virat Kohli -: Virat Kohli is a famous Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian national team. He is known for his excellent batting skills and leadership.
177-run partnership -: A 177-run partnership means that two batsmen, Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant, together scored 177 runs without getting out. Partnerships are important in building a team’s total score.
150 and 99 -: Sarfaraz Khan scored 150 runs, and Rishabh Pant scored 99 runs in the match. These are individual scores that contributed significantly to India’s total.
462 total -: India scored a total of 462 runs in their innings. This is the combined score of all the players who batted for India in that innings.
107 runs target -: India set a target of 107 runs for New Zealand to chase. This means New Zealand needs to score 107 runs to win the match.
late collapse -: A late collapse in cricket means that a team lost several wickets quickly towards the end of their innings, which can affect their total score.