IND vs New Zealand: Rishabh Pant scores fifty at Wankhede to keep India in hunt

Rishabh Pant continued his fine form with the bat for India by scoring a fighting and aggressive fifty in the second innings of the Test in Mumbai on November 3, Sunday. Pant scored his fifty in just 48 balls to ensure India head into the lunch break at 92 for 6 on Sunday after a complete breakdown of the batting order.

Pant scored 60 in the first innings, where he scored his fifty in a similar manner and set a Test record for India against New Zealand. But the Indian wicket-keeper got himself into all sorts of trouble with his team. India lost Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli cheaply and made 18 for 3 as they tried to score 147 runs to win the Test in Mumbai.

Despite mounting pressure at Wankhede, Pant started in typical fashion as he hit a six off Ajaz Patel to start his innings. However, he will see Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan leave at the other end. Pant and Jadeja then steadied the ship a bit with a 42-run partnership, with the former scoring most of the runs.

The Indian wicketkeeper was fortunate to be ranked 12th when he survived the LBW scare, which the New Zealand camp did not decide to reconsider. Jadeja will fall to Ajaz on 71 as Pant starts to free his hands more.

IND – New Zealand, Mumbai: news, third day of tests

Pant hit consecutive boundaries to reach his fifty as India went to lunch with the game on a knife’s edge. Pant hit 7 boundaries and a six in his knock in the second innings.

Ravi Shastri, the commentator, said: “These fifty are worth more than a hundred.”

Pant’s fantastic series against New Zealand

Pant had a hit streak against New Zealand and was India’s leading batsman. The wicketkeeper is India’s highest run-scorer with 242 runs in 6 innings so far, but what is most interesting is his success against spin.

Pant scored 187 runs in 3 Tests with an average of 93.5 and a strike rate of 103.