Rishabh Pant (99) missed out on a hundred yet again, falling agonisingly on 99, after Sarfaraz Khan's departure for 150 as New Zealand seized the momentum by keeping India to 438 for six at tea on the fourth day here Saturday.
India now lead by 82 runs, an unimaginable situation when they were bowled out for 46 in their first innings but New Zealand that remains in driver's seat in the series opener.
Ravindra Jadeja (4) was at crease after the second session had a delayed start at 1.50pm due to rain. KL Rahul (12) was caught behind at the stroke of tea break.
It was seventh occasion when Pant got out in 90s in Test matches.
Pant and Sarfaraz stitched a 177-run stand for the fourth wicket at five runs an over that gave India an upper hand for the first time in this match.
The sight of Pant walking out to bat in the first session in itself was soothing as he had missed the whole of third day because of the blow he copped on the knee while ‘keeping.
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.
Once swam past that period, Pant was unstoppable, clobbering left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel for a couple of six.
The left-hander soon brought up his fifty off just 55 balls with a thumping cover drive off Glenn Phillips before rain halted his march.
Despite the break, Pant started the middle session with confidence, biffing left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra for a couple of sixes over the covers.
There were a couple of jittery moments for him but DRS saved him on both the occasions – once from an appeal for a bat-boot catch and once from a caught-behind appeal.
However, those blips did not affect his concentration and gradually began playing those shots exclusively crafted in the Pant manufacturing unit.
He sashayed and pirouetted around the crease to find all possible angles and the Kiwis bowlers were a clueless lot in finding an ideal line and length against him.
The prime example was an amazing slog swept six off Tim Southee that sailed over the mid-wicket fence as the pacer tried to pitch it full searching for swing.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz, at the other end, chugged to a 150 after reaching his maiden Test hundred during the first session of the day, which he celebrated with unbridled joy.
His batting too was far from conventional, dishing out a melange of late cuts to accumulate his runs. In that sense, the Mumbai man’s brusque batsmanship has a close resemblance to Pant’s.
However, both of them departed in rather quick succession as Kiwis applied break on India’s free-scoring ways.
Pant was played on to William O’Rourke while Sarfaraz scooped Southee to Ajaz Patel. The dismissal of KL Rahul further pegged India back.
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