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

Sarfaraz late-cut his way to his maiden Test century, and Pant, coming back from the injury to his surgically repaired knee from a life-threatening accident, stroked his way to an unbeaten half-century. Put together, the two were a right menace for captain, Tom Latham. They had little regard for the field-sets, showed no fear of making mistakes, and the New Zealand bowlers again failed to provide Latham any control. The biggest disappointment was Ajaz Patel, who turned the ball less than the part-timer Rachin Ravindra, who bowled just one over before rain cut the session short.

It seemed the seam bowlers wanted to trap Sarfaraz lbw, but that only kept giving him easy singles on the leg side. When the keeper came up to the stumps, Pant rooted to the crease, and the visitors were rewarded with an edge but the dying pitch didn’t have enough in it to make it carry. Just in the eighth over of the day, Sarfaraz punched Southee to 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 boundary brought up an emotional hundred.

Apart from Southee, Glenn Phillips was the only one who could provide New Zealand some control, but he, too, bowled a full toss to take Pant to his half-century. New Zealand drew just the 25 mistakes in 22 overs, which is not high considering the attacking approach. At any rate, they had lost the right to have attacking fielders to capitalise on these mistakes. Also the edges were not carrying.

The only time New Zealand came to a wicket was a run-out opportunity at Pant’s end but Tom Blundell reprieved him for the second time in the match by leaving his base to collect a wide throw, seemingly unaware of the opportunity at his end. Pant’s score was only six then.

The rain came as a relief for New Zealand half an hour before the scheduled lunch break. Lunch was eventually taken at 11.20am, ten minutes before usual.