Overnight batters Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill shifted the momentum in India’s favor with a solid 96-run partnership for the fifth wicket during the morning session.
Washington Sundar later boosted India to a total of 263, giving them a 28-run lead. Looking for an early breakthrough, Akash Deep delivered for the Men in Blue right from the first over, though one potential wicket was denied after a DRS review.
After conceding a couple of runs to Devon Conway and Tom Latham, Akash changed his angle and bowled a well-placed delivery to the New Zealand captain.
Latham, attempting a shot outside the line, struck his pad and the umpire raised his finger for an out. However, Latham chose to review the decision and was saved by a clear inside edge. Little did he know, his stay at the crease would be short-lived.
On the very next ball, Akash delivered a fuller length at the same angle, cleaning up Latham as he tried to drive off the front foot but missed the ball entirely.
๐๐ค๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ก๐ข ๐ค๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ค๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฒ๐ ๐#INDvNZ #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/13MNtSwl5t
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) November 2, 2024
Akash, who had just celebrated the overturned decision, erupted into joy surrounded by his teammates. The Twitterverse was quick to applaud his energetic spirit, appreciating how his confidence paid off despite the earlier setback.