NEW DELHI: India batter Sarfaraz Khan hit his first Test century on day four of the first Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru. His effort, along with Rishabh Pant's, resulted in a 177-run partnership, boosting India's second innings total.
Sarfaraz and Pant discussed their strategy reflecting on their successful innings during the Duleep Trophy at the same venue. They decided to adopt an aggressive approach.
"We both play attacking cricket. A few days ago, we played a Duleep Trophy match here. We had to counter-attack in the second innings. We had to score runs and then give them the fight. So we were discussing that the Duleep Trophy days are back, so let's do it again, and then we went on to play attacking cricket," Sarfaraz said at the post-day press conference.
India began the fourth day in an uncertain position after losing Virat Kohli for 70 runs at the end of Day three. Sarfaraz and Pant built a strong partnership, with Sarfaraz scoring 150 runs. Pant narrowly missed his century, scoring 99.
Their partnership helped India achieve a total of 462 runs in the second innings, setting a target of 107 runs for New Zealand. India experienced a collapse after tea, losing four wickets quickly, but the foundation laid by Sarfaraz and Pant ensured a competitive score. The Indian innings ended in 99.3 overs.
New Zealand face a challenging task on the final day, with a target of 107 runs.
India will aim to defend their score and secure a win.
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