HYDERABAD, India, (Reuters) – Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave India a flying start after the bowlers triggered a New Zealand batting collapse on the second day of the second test yesterday.
The hosts were 178 for two at the close, trailing by 172 runs, with Rahul Dravid (7) and Sachin Tendulkar (11) at the crease.
Resuming on 258 for four after Tim McIntosh’s opening day ton, New Zealand added just 92 runs for the loss of six wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Sehwag (96) then tore into the Kiwi bowling, and put on 160 for the first wicket with Gambhir (54), before being bowled by captain Daniel Vettori while attempting a slog sweep.
The swashbuckling Sehwag shifted gears after completing his half-century and hit 15 boundaries and a huge six during his 120-ball stay.
Gambhir, desperate for a big score after a recent poor run of form, compiled a gritty half-century. He fell soon after his opening partner, caught down the legside off paceman Tim Southee.
Earlier, in a fiery spell, left-armer Zaheer Khan (4-69) trapped Gareth Hopkins (4) and Kane Williamson (4) leg before as he swung the ball back from around the wicket.
Spinner Harbhajan Singh chipped in by removing Vettori (11), Jesse Ryder (70), Southee (10) and Chris Martin (3) to foil New Zealand’s chances of a formidable first-innings score.
Ryder took the attack to India with 10 boundaries. He was particularly punishing on an erratic Shanthakumaran Sreesanth before edging Harbhajan to Vangipurappu Laxman in the slips.
The three-match series is tied at 0-0 after the opening test was drawn in Ahmedabad.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand first innings (overnight 258-4)
T. McIntosh b Khan 102
B. McCullum c Dhoni b Sreesanth 4
M. Guptill lbw b Ojha 85
R. Taylor c Dhoni b Khan 24
J. Ryder c Laxman b Harbhajan 70
G. Hopkins lbw b Khan 4
K. Williamson lbw b Khan 4
D. Vettori lbw b Harbhajan 11
T. Southee st Dhoni b Harbhajan 10
B. Arnel not out 6
C. Martin c Sehwag b Harbhajan 3
Extras (b-2, lb-20, w-1, nb-4) 27
Total (all out; 117.3 overs) 350
Fall of wickets: 1-4 2-151 3-206 4-253 5-269 6-287 7-312 8-331 9-338
Bowling: Khan 27-8-69-4, Sreesanth 21-1-88-1 (4nb, 1w), Harbhajan 35.3-10-76-4, Ojha 27-4-80-1, Raina 7-2-15-0.
Scoreboard
India first innings
G. Gambhir c Hopkins b Southee 54
V. Sehwag b Vettori 96
R. Dravid not out 7
S. Tendulkar not out 11
Extras (b-1, lb-8, nb-1) 10
Total (two wickets; 49 overs) 178
To bat: VVS Laxman, S. Raina, MS Dhoni (captain), H. Singh, Z. Khan, S. Sreesanth, P. Ojha.
Fall of wickets: 1-160 2-160
Bowling (to date): Martin 12-4-37-0 (1nb), Southee 12-2-45-1, Arnel 11-2-25-0, Vettori 12-0-45-1, Williamson 2-0-17-0