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Black Caps lose five wickets for seven runs
Jadeja, Ashwin heroics put India on top
KANPUR, Saturday – Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin helped India
gain control of the first Test against New Zealand before the hosts stretched
the second innings lead to 215 on the third day in Kanpur on Saturday.
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Ravichand Ashwin takes a return catch offered by BJ Watling
on the third day of the first Test between India and New
Zealand at Kanpur yesterday. AFP |
India, who are playing their 500th Test match, were 159 for one at stumps with
opener Murali Vijay on 64 and Cheteshwar Pujara on 50 going strong. The batting
duo put together an unbeaten 107-run stand for the second wicket to take the
attack to the opposition bowlers. But it was Jadeja and Aswhin, sharing nine
wickets between them, who spun it around for India after bowling out New Zealand
for 262 in their first innings and securing a vital 56-run lead.
The Indian batsmen seized the advantage with Vijay putting on a 52-run opening
stand with Lokesh Rahul, who finally fell to New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi for
38. Vijay, who registered his 13th half-century, struck seven fours and a six to
entertain the raucous home crowd at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium. Pujara also
took on the spinners with aplomb as he hit eight boundaries to record his eight
Test fifty in his 36th match.
Earlier Ashwin got overnight batsmen Tom Latham and Kane Williamson in the
morning session to hurt the Black Caps, who started the day on 152 for one in
response to India’s 318. Off-spinner Ashwin, who took four wickets, struck in
the fifth over of the day to get Latham trapped lbw for 58 and break the 124-run
partnership for the second wicket. The left-handed Latham, who added just two
runs to his overnight score, was done in by a drifter bowled by Ashwin from
around the wicket.
But it was the wicket of Williamson, who scored 75, that turned the tables for
the hosts as Ashwin got the dangerman bowled off a beautiful delivery that spun
a lot from outside the off stump. “It was a good ball that came through the bat
and the pad,” Jadeja, who recorded his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests, said of
Ashwin’s delivery. Luke Ronchi steadied the innings for a while with his
composed 38 but Jadeja got the batsman lbw to break the 49-run fifth-wicket
partnership before lunch.
The spin twins continued to wreak havoc after the first session as Jadeja, who
was denied a hat-trick, wiped off the opposition tail after taking three wickets
in the 95th over of the innings.
New Zealand lost five wickets for just seven runs as they nosedived from 255 for
five to pack up in 95.5 overs. Santner contributed with 32 while
wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling also scored 21 to put up some fight but the
lower-order batsmen failed to handle the Indian spinners.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA 1ST INNINGS 318
NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS
M. Guptill lbw b Yadav 21
T. Latham lb b Ashwin 58
K. Williamson b Ashwin 75
R. Taylor lbw b Jadeja 00
L. Ronchi lbw b Jadeja 38
M. Santner c Saha b Ashwin 32
BJ. Watling c & b Ashwin 21
M. Craig lbw b Jadeja 02
I. Sodhi lbw b Jadeja 00
T. Boult c Sharma b Jadeja 00
N. Wagner not out 00
Extras (b 8, lb 5, nb 2) 15
Total (all out: 95.5 overs) 262
Fall of wickets: 1-35 (Guptill), 2-159 (Latham), 3-160 (Taylor)
4-170(Williamson), 5-219 (Ronchi), 6-255 (Santner)
7-258 (Craig), 8-258(Sodhi), 9-258 (Boult)
10-268 (Watling)
Bowling: Shami 11-1-35-0
Yadav 15-5-33-1
Jadeja 34-7-73-5
Ashwin 30.5-7-93-4
Vijay 4-0-10-0
Sharma 1-0-5-0
INDIA 2ND INNINGS
L. Rahul c Taylor b Sodhi 38
M. Vijay not out 64
C. Pujara not out 50
Extras (lb 7) 07
Total (1 wicket at close; 47 overs) 159
Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Rahul)
Bowling: Trent Boult 5-0-1-0
Mitchell Santner 13-5-33-0
M. Craig 11-1-48-0
Wagner 8-3-17-1
Sodhi 7-2-29-1
Guptill 3-0-14-0 |
