Rishabh Pant continued his good form with the bat for India as he scored a fighting and aggressive fifty in the second innings of the Mumbai Test on Sunday, November 3. Pant scored a fifty off just 48 balls to ensure India went into the lunch break at 92 for 6 on Sunday after a sharp collapse in the batting order.

Pant had scored 60 runs in the first innings where he had scored fifty runs similarly and set a record in India vs New Zealand Tests. But the Indian goalkeeper got his side into all sorts of trouble. India had lost Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli cheaply and were 18 for 3 chasing 147 runs to win the Mumbai Test.

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

The Indian wicketkeeper would get a lucky break in the 12th over when he survived an LBW scare, which the New Zealand camp decided not to revisit. Jadeja would fall to Ajaz with the score on 71 as Pant began to free his arms more.

IND v NZ, Mumbai Test Day 3 Updates

Pant would hit back-to-back boundaries to reach his fifty as India went into lunch with the game on a knife edge. Pant has hit 7 boundaries and a six in his knock so far in the second innings.

Ravi Shastri on commentary duty used to say “This fifty is worth more than a hundred”.

Pant’s fantastic series against New Zealand

Pant enjoyed a prolific series against New Zealand and was India’s best batsman. The wicketkeeper is the highest run-getter for India with 242 runs in 6 innings so far, but the fascinating part has been his success against spin.

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