1st Test: Rain halts Sarfaraz, Pant's masterclass as India nearly wipes deficit against New Zealand (Day 4, Lunch)

Rain came in to put a halt on Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan's impeccable strokeplay as India completely dominated the first session on Day 4 against New Zealand on Saturday in Bengaluru. At the stroke of Lunch, India posted 344/3, with Sarfaraz and Pant unbeaten with scores of 125(154) and 53(56), respectively. With the deficit now reduced to just 12 runs, the match is evenly poised for a climactic finish. After being dominated by New Zealand for the majority of the Test match, India finally had its say under a gloomy Bengaluru sky.

After losing Virat Kohli on the final ball of Day 3 to Glenn Phillips, India walked out of the stadium with dropped shoulders and uncertainty over the future. With dark clouds hovering over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Sarfaraz and Pant became the beacon of inspiration and hope for the hosts. Sarfaraz didn't waste time to start India's quest to reduce the massive 125-run run trail. In the second over of the day, he went after William ORourke and smashed him for two boundaries with audacious attempts.

The partnership kept growing stronger, with Sarfaraz heavily relying on late cuts to pile up runs on the board. With pacers proving to be fruitless with each passing over, Sarfaraz took a single and completed his century. The moment he finished the single, Sarfaraz yelled and punched the air in ecstacy to celebrate the landmark moment. With Pant and Sarfaraz dominating New Zealand's pacers, skipper Tom Latham was quick to realise the threat and introduce spinners.

Despite the introduction of spinners, Pant and Sarfaraz were not daunted. Pant occasionally smoked the ball into the stands, while Sarfaraz stuck to dealing in fours. Pant drilled the ball towards the boundary rope to complete his 18th Test fifty. With the trail reduced to just 12 runs, rain came in to take away India's momentum. With the drizzle getting heavy, lunch was declared despite a couple of overs left.

Brief Score: India 46 & 344/3 (Sarfaraz Khan 125*, Rishabh Pant 53*; Ajaz Patel 2-100) vs New Zealand 402 (Rachin Ravindra 134, Tim Southee 65, Devon Conway 91; Ravindra Jadeja 3/72). (ANI)