WATCH: Rishabh Pant falls to controversial DRS call

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant was visibly disappointed after third umpire Paul Reiffel overturned the on-field call, ruling him out in a pivotal moment of India’s chase against New Zealand in the final Test. The wicketkeeper-batter, who had been anchoring the innings in the challenging pursuit of 147, departed after a well-fought 64 off 57 balls, leaving the match on a knife’s edge.

In the 22nd over, on the fourth delivery from Ajaz Patel, Rishabh Pant advanced down the pitch but couldn’t reach the ball’s length. It deflected off his pad, popping up into the hands of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.

Very clear the deflection here. There’s no controversy here.

When bat is resting on the pad already, it’s not going to show the spike. Impact causes spike. Anyway, clear deflection here.

Terrific umpiring under pressure #INDvsNZ #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/DKhHzgmfsY

— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) November 3, 2024

New Zealand began celebrating, but the on-field umpire kept his finger down. After some thought, Kiwi skipper Tom Latham went for the review. The UltraEdge showed a faint spike as the ball passed close to Pant’s bat. When the replays appeared on the big screen, Pant was seen speaking with the on-field officials, seemingly suggesting that the spike could have come from his bat striking his pad.

However, third umpire Paul Reiffel noted a deflection and deemed there was sufficient evidence to overturn the decision. When the “out” verdict was given, Pant appeared hesitant to leave but eventually made his way back to the pavilion, visibly disappointed.

In his brisk innings during the fourth and final innings, Rishabh Pant achieved a unique feat, becoming only the third batter after Virender Sehwag and Yashasvi Jaiswal to score 50+ runs in both innings of a Test at a strike rate over 100. As for the ongoing Test, India faces a target of 147 to secure a consolation win in the three-match series.

India’s chase struggled early, with six wickets tumbling for just 71 runs. Rishabh Pant emerged as the lone fighter, counter-attacking New Zealand’s bowlers to keep India’s hopes alive. However, his dismissal to Ajaz Patel swung the match back in New Zealand’s favor. This marked Patel’s 10th wicket in the match, following his five-wicket haul in India’s first innings, highlighting his pivotal role in the game.

India’s top order faltered in the final innings of the Test series, with big names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Sarfaraz Khan all struggling to make an impact. Their early dismissals added pressure to the chase, leaving India’s middle and lower order with a steep task.