WATCH: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli engage in heated conversation with umpire Paul Reiffel over play stoppage on Day 4 of Bengaluru Test

The first Test match between India and New Zealand is finely poised with the visiting side needing 107 runs to win the game. Four balls into the 2nd innings, umpire Paul Reiffel decided to halt play as the conditions went dark. The light meters came out as the two Kiwi openers decided to take offer for light and walk off the field.  

This didn’t sit down well with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who was seen angrily gesticulating towards the umpires. India’s skipper even seemed to ask the umpires if he could employ Bumrah as the spinner. Both the umpires though didn’t agree to the demand as the players were left furious. 

Rohit Sharma is unhappy . pic.twitter.com/QB7gz3qz0m

— '' (@Sneaky_ix) October 19, 2024

Virat Kohli joined in the chat and was seen having a frank discussions with the two match officials. Indian players made their way to the boundary as the 4th umpire came out. The decision to go off proved to be right at the end of the day as a massive storm along with rain engulfed the ground as the game was called off for the day. 

New Zealand seamers haunt India’s lower order yet again 

At one stage the Indian side were placed at 408/3 with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant batting well. The pair had added 177 runs for the 4th wicket to take the game away from the Kiwi bowlers. Tom Latham’s decision to take the new ball worked out in his team’s favor as India lost their last 7 wickets for mere 54 runs. 

Tim Southee provided the big wicket of Sarfaraz Khan for 150 off 195 balls. Rishabh Pant then was out for 99 when he dragged the ball back onto his stumps. William O Rourke dismissed the Indian wicketkeeper at the stroke of tea. KL Rahul was the last man out before Tea for 12 caught by Blundell off Rourke. 

Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t time the ball well as he went for a pull only to be caught by Will Young to be out for 5. Ravichandran Ashwin played a breezy knock of 15 before he was out to Matt Henry. The right-arm pacer then dismissed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to bowl out India for 462 with an overall lead of 106. 

Rohit Sharma’s team have already lost one review when they went up against Tom Latham for a huge LBW appeal. Once the replays came on it was seen that the ball had pitched outside the leg stump to give the Kiwi skipper huge reprieve. On the final day the visitors need 107 runs with all ten wickets in hand. India will be banking on Ashwin and Jadeja to do the trick with the amount of cracks that has developed on the pitch.