With India’s top order back in the hut, the visitors are in a spot of bother at the end of Day 3 of the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Still trailing by 39 runs, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Hanuma Vihari (15) were at the crease, with India’s score 144/4.
Coming back after Tea, India lost the wickets of Mayank Agarwal & Virat Kohli.
Agarwal (58), who starred with the bat for his 4th Test fifty, was unlucky to edge a ball down the leg-side to wicket-keeper BJ Watling off Tim Southee. He had forged a 51-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (11 of 81 balls) to bring India back into the match after Prithvi Shaw once again departed early.
Meanwhile, Boult picked his third wicket of the match after Kohli held out to the keeper for 19 runs. Shaw also fell to a rising delivery from Boult on the leg-side, caught behind square for 30-ball 14 while Pujara had his off-stump dismantled also by Boult just before tea.
Meanwhile, for the umpteenth time, Team India’s inability to wrap up the the tail quickly might comeback to bite them as New Zealand posted a daunting lead of 183 runs.
Ishant Sharma (5/68) was the pick among the Indian bowlers, who completed his 11th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
It was an eventful first hour of play at the Basin Reserve as the hosts were jolted by two quick wickets within the first four overs of the day. Watling (14) got a beauty from Jasprit Bumrah up front, which he only managed to edge it to keeper Rishabh Pant.
Three overs later Tim Southee (1) mishit an absolutely ordinary delivery from Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami doesn’t make a mistake at fine leg.
But despite two early wickets, India failed to take advantage as the Kiwis added 132 runs in the extended first session on Day 3.
The bulk of the scoring was done by New Zealand’s lower-order batsmen - debutant Kyle Jamieson and veteran Trent Boult - who took the match away from India’s grasp.
Jamieson counter-attacked with lusty blows all around the park for his 45-ball 44. Giving him company at the centre was all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme as New Zealand comfortably went past the 100-run lead mark and the duo put up a stand of 71 runs.
If Jamieson was playing the aggressive hand, Grandhomme played the matured game after surviving twice in the first hour of play - courtesy the DRS. Eventually, he was dismissed for a well-made 43.
In the end, it was Boult’s 24-ball 38 which took the Indians by surprise as he smashed 5 fours and a six to extend New Zealand’s lead.
At the end of Day 2, skipper Kane Williamson scored a brilliant 89 to put New Zealand ahead but India clawed their way right back into the game by the end of the day.
At Stumps on Day 2, New Zealand had gained a 51-run lead but had also lost their top five batsmen, including Williamson and Ross Taylor. The hosts were 216/5 when umpires called off early stumps due to bad light.
Earlier, the Black Caps continued with the brilliant bowling performance and bowled out India for a paltry 165 in their first innings. Debutant pacer Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee came out with splendid bowling performances as the visitors lost their last five wickets adding just 43 runs to their overnight score of 122.
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