Safaraz was jumping and yelling at Pant to return back after a huge mix-up
During the 3rd day of the 1st test between India vs New Zealand, Sarfaraz Khan got angry at Rishabh Pant after a huge mix-up while running between wickets.
This incident happened in the 1st ball of the 55th over when Matt Henry bowled to Sarfaraz, which Sarfaraz cuts the ball to deep backward point for a single. There was a huge misunderstanding as Pant started slowly and nearly got run out. At first, they might have thought of taking two runs but Sarfaraz was shouting up and signalling Pant to stop, but Pant was too glued watching the ball and ran halfway down the pitch.
Also Read: A glimpse of vintage Virat Kohli, yet uncertainty lingers
But India got lucky because Blundell, NZ’s wicketkeeper, was ahead of the stumps, and the throw wasn’t accurate. He had to rush forward to collect it, and in doing so, he could only try an underarm throw, which missed the stumps.
Watch the video here
Look at how Safaraz is jumping and yelling at Pant to return back
If that had resulted in a run-out, India could have found themselves in trouble. However, thanks to Blundell’s blunder, it didn’t happen, and India can breathe a sigh of relief from what could have been a costly scare.
Also Read: Tackling India spinners the Devon Conway way
Talking about the match, India ended Day 2 trailing by 125 runs after starting the day with a massive trail of 356 runs. This was due to a 50 from skipper Rohit, 70 from Kohli, and an unbeaten 70 from Sarfaraz. However, thanks to the aggressive play from Sarfaraz and Pant at the start of Day 3, they have reduced that deficit to 62 runs, with Sarfaraz reaching his maiden Test hundred.
More than 150 overs still remaining in the match and key batsmen like Rahul, Jadeja, and Ashwin yet to come, India aims to set a target for New Zealand that will give their bowlers a good chance to dismiss them effectively.
If India wins the Test from this position, it would set a record, as no team has ever successfully chased down a lead of this magnitude after the first innings.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
