On Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Sarfaraz Khan reached a crucial century, taking India to 275/3 as they trail by 125 runs. After resuming on 231/3, Sarfaraz was joined by Rishabh Pant (11*), as the Indian team looks to chase down New Zealand’s first innings total of 402.
Sarfaraz Khan’s Century Offers Hope for India
Sarfaraz’s century has been pivotal after a challenging start for India, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Rohit Sharma (52) falling early. Virat Kohli added stability with a well-made 70 before being caught by Tom Blundell off Glenn Phillips on the final ball of Day 3. Kohli’s innings also saw him achieve a personal milestone of 9000 Test runs, becoming the fourth Indian to do so, following Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Ajaz Patel (2 wickets) and Phillips (1 wicket), kept the pressure on, particularly in the overcast conditions, which could further aid their fast bowlers.
Earlier, New Zealand posted 402, with Rachin Ravindra scoring 134 and Devon Conway narrowly missing a century with 99. India’s bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, each took three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj picked up two.
With Sarfaraz in fine form, India aims to take the lead, but challenging weather and New Zealand’s fast bowlers remain a potential hurdle.
After a disastrous first innings where India were bowled out for just 46 runs in the first session, they now face an uphill battle to turn the game around. Sarfaraz Khan’s century on Day 4 has offered hope, but India still trails by over 100 runs with New Zealand’s bowlers posing a constant threat in the overcast conditions. To reverse the situation, India will need solid partnerships, resilience, and quick runs, while also relying on their bowlers to strike early when they get back on the field. The question remains whether they can mount a comeback or if the damage from the first session is too much to overcome.