[Watch] Rishabh Pant drops a catch to hand Tom Latham a reprieve on Day 2 of IND vs NZ 2nd Test 2024 

Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant dropped a catch behind the stumps, giving New Zealand skipper Tom Latham a lifeline on Day 2 of their ongoing second Test on Friday, October 25. The match is being held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

On the second ball of the 28th over, Washington Sundar delivered a superb length ball that Latham played along a straighter line. The ball turned away late, catching a faint edge on its way to the keeper while gaining some extra bounce. However, Pant couldn't hold onto it, missing a crucial opportunity.

Here’s a video of the dropped catch:

At that moment, the New Zealand opener was on 49 runs off 81 balls and reached his fifty with a single on the next delivery. At the time of writing, the visitors were 147 for four after 35 overs, leading by 250 runs, with Latham (66) and Tom Blundell (12) at the crease.

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Mitchell Santner shines with the ball as New Zealand take a 103-run lead in the first innings

Fifties from Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) helped the Black Caps post 259 in their first innings. In response, the hosts lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck off nine balls. Shubman Gill (30) looked promising before becoming Mitchell Santner's first victim.

Star batter Virat Kohli misjudged a low full toss and was cleaned up for one. Soon after, Glenn Phillips removed Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) and Rishabh Pant (18), leaving the hosts at 83 for five.

First-match centurion Sarfaraz Khan couldn't contribute much, as he was dismissed for 11 runs. Ravindra Jadeja was India's top scorer, making 38 runs off 46 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes.

Towards the end, Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 18 off 21 balls. Santner was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking seven wickets for 53 runs as India were bowled out for 156 in their first innings.

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