Published on: 02/11/2024 – 07:22Amended: 02/11/2024 – 07:20

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India were leading 195-5, 40 runs behind, when lunch was called minutes early due to a problem with an overhead television camera at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

Gill, on 70, and Ravindra Jadeja, on 10, struck at the break on a spin-friendly pitch.

Pant smashed 60 off 59 balls with eight fours and two sixes in a 96-run stand with Gill before being trapped in weight by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.

Resuming at 86-4, the batsmen looked aggressive as India looked to avoid an embarrassing 3-0 series at home.

Left-hander Pant smashed Mumbai-born New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel for three boundaries in the first over.

Gill hit a four against Ajaz but survived a reprieve on 45 by replacement fielder Mark Chapman, who failed to latch on to a high catch off the bowling of Glenn Phillips as he ran from a long time.

Gill reached his fifty with a single and Pant continued the attack with regular boundaries to bring up his half-ton in 36 balls.

Matt Henry dropped Pant on 53 but the spill – again off Phillips – ultimately did not prove costly.

India had started their response strongly from day one but slipped from 78-1 to 84-4 in a final 10 minutes of chaos that ended with Virat Kohli running out for four as he attempted a simple cheeky one.

The Black Caps sealed their first ever Test series victory in India with victory in the second Test in Pune.

© 2024 AFP