NEW DELHI: India found themselves in a challenging position during their record chase of 359 against New Zealand in the second Test at MCA stadium in Pune on Saturday, despite a promising start in their second innings. After losing captain Rohit Sharma early for just 8 runs, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal kept India in the game with an aggressive half-century, showcasing his remarkable form.
Jaiswal’s 62-run partnership for the second wicket with Shubman Gill (23 off 31) provided India with the momentum needed for the daunting chase. The 22-year-old was in scintillating form, scoring a rapid 77 off just 65 balls, hitting three sixes and nine fours, before he was dismissed by Mitchell Santner in the 22nd over. At 127/3, India appeared to be in a stable position.
Scorecard: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test
However, the situation quickly turned against the hosts as disaster struck in the very next over with an “avoidable” run-out that shifted the momentum in New Zealand’s favor.
Rishabh Pant, yet to score, was involved in a mix-up with Virat Kohli while attempting a risky single. Kohli tapped Ajaz Patel’s delivery to backward point, but Pant misjudged the call. Santner swiftly fielded the ball and delivered a perfect throw to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, leaving Pant well short of his ground, even after a desperate dive.
Pant’s dismissal without scoring left India reeling at 127/4, as they lost two crucial wickets in successive overs.
This run-out also saw Pant join an unwanted list – becoming only the third Indian batter to be dismissed for a duck via run-out while batting in the top seven positions since 1990. The other two players to share this unfortunate record are Rahul Dravid, who was run-out against Pakistan in Lahore in 2004, and Cheteshwar Pujara, who registered two such dismissals: once against Australia in Dharamsala in 2017, and again against South Africa in Centurion in 2018.
With India losing momentum after Pant’s dismissal, they now face an uphill battle in their pursuit of the daunting target.
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