He said, “This game tests your limits. It will take you down, then lift you up, and then take you down again. But those who love this thing, they stand strong every time. I am grateful to the Bengaluru crowd for their love and support. We will make a strong comeback.”
Despite the failure in the first innings, India made a strong comeback in the second innings, thanks to Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99), and scored 462 runs, setting a target of 107 runs for the visitors. Chasing the target, Will Young (48 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) shared a 75-run match-winning partnership, helping New Zealand win the Test by eight wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
In New Zealand’s first innings, Pant suffered an injury to his right knee while keeping wickets against Jadeja’s bowling. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets for the rest of the match. However, Pant batted in the second innings and played a crucial innings of 99 runs, also sharing a 177-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan on Saturday.
This was New Zealand’s first Test win in India since 1988, and only their third win in 37 Tests on Indian soil. New Zealand also became the first visiting team to successfully chase a target of 100+ in the fourth innings in India since 2000. The second Test between India and New Zealand will be played in Pune from October 24, followed by the third and final Test in Mumbai from November 1.
