Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan achieved his first Test century on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 19. Known for his impressive domestic performances, the right-handed batsman turned his maiden Test hundred into 150 runs.
With this achievement, the Mumbai player became only the third Indian cricketer to score both a duck and 150 runs in the same Test match. The 26-year-old was out for zero in the first innings, caught at mid-off while attempting a shot against Matt Henry.
Prior to Sarfaraz, Madhav Apte and Nayan Mongia were the only others to have a duck and a score of 150 or more in the same Test. Apte achieved this against the West Indies in 1953 with scores of 0 and 163*, while Mongia recorded 152 followed by a duck in the 1996 Test against Australia in Delhi, which marked the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India faced difficulties against New Zealand despite Sarfaraz’s impressive performance on Day 4
Starting their second innings at 231-3 in Bengaluru, India lost Virat Kohli for 70 on the last ball of Day 3. However, Sarfaraz (150 off 195) and Rishabh Pant (99 off 105) partnered for 177 runs for the fourth wicket, providing a much-needed boost to the hosts.
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Sarfaraz hit 18 fours and three sixes in his standout innings, while Pant added nine fours and five sixes in his explosive knock. However, after their partnership ended, India experienced a dramatic batting collapse. Sarfaraz was caught at cover while attempting to attack Southee, and Pant was dismissed after edging a delivery from the tall William O’Rourke.
At the time the fourth-wicket partnership was broken, India was at 408-3. They went on to lose seven wickets for just 54 runs, ultimately getting bowled out for 462. After conceding a significant 356-run first-innings lead from being all out for 46, New Zealand now needs only 107 runs on Day 5 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
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