Sarfaraz Khan hits century in maiden Test, carrying India to 344 at lunch against New Zealand

• India reached 344 runs at lunch against New Zealand after a maiden torn from Sarfaraz Khan.
• Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant were at the crease when an early lunch was taken due to rain.
• Khan and Pant have an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 113 runs.

India continued their extraordinary turnaround in the opening Test against New Zealand with Sarfaraz Khan striking his maiden Test hundred to take India to 344 for three at lunch on the fourth day, here Saturday.

Sarfaraz (125 runs, 154 balls) and Rishabh Pant (53 runs, 56 balls) were at the crease when an early lunch was taken due to rain. The duo milked 113 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket in just 22 overs.

India, resuming from 231/3 and 125 behind, now trails only by 12 runs.

The sight of Rishabh Pant walking out to bat with Sarfaraz too might have calmed a lot of nerves in the Indian dressing room after the former missed the third day's play due to a blow he copped on his knee on the second day while 'keeping.

Playing in only his fifth Test, the Mumbai man, resuming from 70, tamed overcast conditions and New Zealand bowlers in impeccable fashion as India added 63 runs ahead of the first drinks break.

A good chunk of it came from Sarfaraz's bat and the way he nullified the Kiwi's pacers through late cuts was just exceptional.

At the other end, Pant understandably made a slightly gingerly start and was even involved in a mix-up with Sarfaraz, saved only by an erratic throw at stumps by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.

But once he swam past that period, Pant was unstoppable, clobbering left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel for a couple of sixes. He also began to give more confident support to Sarfaraz.

The left-hander soon brought up his fifty off just 55 balls with a thumping cover drive off Glenn Phillips as India added 113 runs without losing a wicket till the skies opened up at 11.01 am to stop the proceedings.

With inputs from PTI.

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