Agarwal leads India’s fightback against NZ

India opener Mayank Agarwal hit a gritty hundred to rescue the hosts after New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel had put them in a spot of bother with three quick wickets on the weather-hit first day of the second and final test on Friday.

Agarwal remained unbeaten on 120 after completing his fourth test hundred to help India reach 221 for four wickets at stumps with wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha keeping him company on 25 not out at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai-born Patel, whose parents immigrated to New Zealand in 1996, picked up all four wickets on a track aiding the spinners to finish with figures of four for 73.

After the first session was wiped out due to a wet outfield, Agarwal and Shubman Gill gave their side a solid start with an opening stand of 80 following captain Virat Kohli’s decision to bat having winning the toss.

Patel gave New Zealand the breakthrough by dismissing Gill for 44 when the batteredged a delivery to the lone slip.

The 33-year-old Patel returned in his next over to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli before they had opened their accounts, much to the disappointment of the few hundreds present at the ground which overlooks the Arabian Sea.

From 80 for no loss, India were reduced to 80-3 and it was left to Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer, who made a dream test debut in Kanpur with a first-innings 105 followed by a crucial 65 in the second, to launch the fightback for the hosts.

The duo added 80 for the fourth wicket to rebuild the innings before Iyer fell on 18 to become Patel’s fourth scalp.

The dismissal brought Agarwal and Saha together and the pair defied New Zealand’s bowlers for the rest of the day with an unbroken partnership of 61.