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Team India's keeper-batter Rishabh Pant missed out on a well-deserved century on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 19. Had he reached three figures, he would have surpassed MS Dhoni (six) as the Indian wicketkeeper-batter with the most Test hundreds.
While he missed out on a century, Pant btoke a Dhoni record with his 99. He's now the fastest Indian wicketkeeper-batter to score 2,500 runs in Test cricket, getting there in 62 innings. Dhoni had reached the same landmark in 69 innings. Farokh Engineer is number three on the list, with 82 innings.
Looking at Pant's Test career after 62 innings, he has 2,551 runs at an average of 44.75. Saturday marked the seventh instance of the left-handed batter being dismissed in the nervous 90s in his Test career. Meanwhie, Dhoni ended his Test career with 4,876 runs 90 Tests, averaging 38.09, with the help of six hundreds and 33 fifties.
India on the backfoot in the Bengaluru Test despite Rishabh Pant's heroics
Team India fought hard on Day 4 of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand in their endeavor to stay alive in the contest. Resuming their second innings at 231-3, they reached 408-3 courtesy of a superb 177-run fourth wicket-stand between Pant and Sarfaraz Khan (150 off 195).
While the Indian keeper-batter slammed nine fours and five sixes in his 99 off 105, Sarfaraz smacked 18 fours and three sixes in his maiden Test century. However, once the brilliant partnership was broken, the hosts suffered a shocking batting collapse. They went from 408-3 to 462 all-out, losing seven wickets for 54 runs. For the Kiwis, William O’Rourke and Matt Henry claimed three scalps each.
New Zealand need to chase down a target of 107 to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. If they do so, the Kiwis will register their first Test win in India since November 1988, when a John Wright-led side beat India at the Wankhede in Mumbai.
