"India owes you" - Fans delighted as Daryl Mitchell's gritty century leads fightback in 1st NZ vs SL Test

Daryl Mitchell steered the ship out of choppy waters for New Zealand in their first innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, March 11.

The visitors showed great resilience with the bat, registering an impressive score of 355 in the first innings. In response, the chances of New Zealand reaching close to the total looked bleak, given that they were reeling at 151/5 at stumps on Day 2.

However, Mitchell played a wonderful knock to revive his team's chances. The 31-year-old completed his fifth century on the morning of the third day and was eventually dismissed for 102 runs.

The hosts were eventually bowled out for 373 and managed to take a slender lead of 18 runs thanks to a fine 72-run knock from Matt Henry.

Sri Lanka need to beat the Blackcaps 2-0 to keep their hopes alive for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

With Rohit Sharma and Co. also in contention for a place in the WTC final, many Indian fans were overjoyed by Mitchell's batting exploits. Many supporters took to social media, lauding the Kiwi batter for his stellar performance.

Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:

Daryl Mitchell you 😍 beauty

Every Indian fan to Daryl Mitchell-
#WTC2023 #INDvAUS https://t.co/TTmXQC9CJu

Thank you, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell and Neil Wagner. India owes you 😂 #INDvAUS #NZvSL

Every Indian fan should thank Daryl Mitchell for that knock it could seal the World Test Championship Final spot for India...... https://t.co/ksMe3IZnU0

Thank you Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry 🙏
Your truly,
Team India
#CricketTwitter

Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry 🤩🤩 https://t.co/3iyatpBIB2

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 what a great news to wake up to..
Daryl Mitchell ayya..
Great cameo by Matt Henry!! CSK blood 🩸🩸 https://t.co/0TJM0ZGC6t

Big thanks for Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry.
#NZvsSL
#IndWTC

Thank you daryl Mitchell from 🇮🇳
#NZvsSL

Daryl Mitchell digging in to try and secure India spot in the wtc final!

@ICC Meanwhile Indians to Daryl Mitchell & Matt Henry 🤭
#DarylMitchell #MattHenry https://t.co/a8xYxatOiR

The New Zealand tail + Daryl mitchell have probably just helped India to qualify for the WTC final.

It is worth noting that Daryl Mitchell has emerged as a clutch player for his team and has bailed them out on several occasions with his batting brilliance. With his ton against Sri Lanka, he became the second-fastest batter to score five Test hundreds for New Zealand.

WTC final qualifications scenarios for India and Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are currently placed third in the WTC points table with a percentage of points (PCT) of 55.33. India, on the other hand, have a PCT of 60.29, and they occupy second place in the standings.

India will straightaway qualify for the WTC final if they win the ongoing Ahmedabad Test against Australia. However, their fate won't remain in their own hands if the match ends in a draw or they suffer a defeat.

If Rohit Sharma and Co. fail to clinch victory in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sri Lanka will need to win 2-0 against New Zealand to advance to the final.

What are the chances of India to qualify for the WTC finals? 🤔

#CricketTwitter #INDvsAUSTest https://t.co/ugpRsK6zv6

The final of the second edition of the WTC will be played from June 7–11 at the Oval in London. Australia have already qualified for the summit clash.