IND vs NZ: Shubman, Pant and Jadeja fire as India mount strong comeback on Day 2, set for Tricky Chase

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The will to fight and take the battle into the rival camp saw India win hearts on Day 2 of the final Test against New Zealand on Saturday. Drama, excitement, heart-stopping moments and in the end New Zealand leading by 143 runs with one wicket in hand, two possibilities emerge - an India win or Kiwis sweeping the series on Sunday.

Indeed, the narrative will not be complete without a mention of two Young Turks who batted in contrasting styles to make the day so exciting. If Shubman Gill showed he has evolved into a mature batter at the No.3 position by focusing more on staying at the crease than lavish stroke-production as he scored 90 runs by facing 146 balls, Pant was a terror. This Delhi batter, now up for sale in the IPL auction later this month, showed he was not going to change his batting style.

Comparisons are being made with the greats like Viv Richards and Viru Sehwag of yore in Test cricket. No, there can be only one Pant who showed that he will produce shots which seems outrageous and are yet effective. He takes his chances like an inveterate gambler in Las Vegas. Just that, right now, Pant is raking it rich. It's like a sweep-stake of sorts. Here, the runs count, 60 off 59 balls where shots executed were bold and blazing. To decorate his innings with eight fours and two sixes, even bystanders from nearby Nariman Point would have wanted to barge into the Wankhede Stadium.

This guy, Pant, is an entertainer. He smiles, he cracks jokes. The same way he bats, absolute disdain for pace and spin. It was this partnership between the two dashing batters of Indian cricket - Gill and Pant - which produced the fireworks in the true spirit of a long Deepawali weekend. There have been enough sad stories written about the failure of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan, who, shockingly, was sent in at No.8 position. That is something only Gautam Gambhir can explain. Sadly, after that one 150 knock, Sarfaraz has made things difficult for himself as he went for a duck. Having taken a slender 13-run lead, it was an open game.

But the way India's bowlers bounced back was fascinating. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep provided the first jolt, getting rid of Tom Latham. The track was vicious, there was spin and the bowlers had to ply their trade hard. And with immense variety in India's ranks, where seasoned stars and a young Washington Sundar were in combat mode, India ensured there was a procession of Kiwi wickets. There were two good catches taken as well by Gill and Kohli but what these three spinners produced sent fans into a trance. One man stood there in the middle, Will Young. He showed will even though he was not young (Age 31) before Ashwin castled him for 51 runs. At stumps, the visitors were leading by 143 runs. One expects the last wicket to fall early on Sunday and then hope the India batters can win it on Sunday.

There has been plenty of loose talk on Ashwin and Jadeja. The heartless hacks have called them old, in decline. Some have said this will be their last Test series at home while a few more have said this will be their final tour abroad to Australia. Perhaps, Ashwin and Jadeja, two different bowlers who produce the same devastating effect had heard the critics. They were in full motion and preyed on the Kiwi batters. For the pessimists, the mindset will be India being uncapable of winning the match on Sunday, with Ajaz Patel a tough guy to deal with. At least, for once in the series, India took centre-stage.