India’s batting duo of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill put on a dominant display on the second morning of the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, guiding their team to a strong position at lunch.
Resuming on 19 for 1, Pant and Gill added a quickfire 96 runs for the second wicket, bringing India within striking distance of New Zealand’s first innings total of 235. Pant was particularly aggressive, scoring his half-century in just 36 balls, the fastest by an Indian against New Zealand.
Pant’s attacking mindset forced New Zealand to adjust their field placements, but he continued to find the boundaries with ease. He hit two sixes off Ajaz Patel and looked set for a big score before being dismissed lbw for 60 by Ish Sodhi.
Gill, who was dropped on 45, played a more cautious innings but still managed to reach 70 off 106 balls at lunch. He and Ravindra Jadeja, who was promoted to maintain the left-right combination, saw India through to the break with a 15-run stand.
New Zealand’s bowlers struggled to contain the Indian batsmen, with Patel and Sodhi being the only ones to take wickets. Patel finished with figures of 2 for 76, while Sodhi claimed 1 for 42.
India will be looking to build on their strong start in the afternoon session and take a first-innings lead. New Zealand, on the other hand, will need to find a way to break the partnership between Gill and Jadeja and restrict India’s scoring rate.
