NAGPUR, India, (Reuters) – Half-centuries from each of India’s top-order batsmen gave the hosts control of the third and final test after their bowlers had dismissed New Zealand for 193 on the second day yesterday.
At the close, India had reached 292 for two for a lead of 99 runs, with the experienced duo of Rahul Dravid (69) and Sachin Tendulkar (57) at the crease.
Dravid, with his 60th fifty in tests, and Tendulkar, who needs 43 more for his 50th test hundred, have already added 100 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership.
Virender Sehwag (74) and Gautam Gambhir (78) combined for a quickfire opening stand of 113 after paceman Ishant Sharma and spinner Pragyan Ojha picked up the final three New Zealand wickets in the morning.
Sehwag flayed the New Zealand bowlers and brought up a run-a-ball half-century — his 26th in tests — with 12 boundaries and a six before falling to New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori caught and bowled.
The flamboyant right-hander played some delicate late cuts and audacious upper cuts and pulls as the visitors looked to attack him with short-pitched deliveries.
Gambhir celebrated his appointment as India captain for the first two one-dayers against New Zealand with a confident knock, cut short when he poked at a Tim Southee delivery outside the off-stump to give Ross Taylor catching practice at slips.
New Zealand had resumed on their overnight score of 148 for seven but lasted just one hour with 45 runs added to their total.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand first innings (overnight 148-7)
T. McIntosh b Sreesanth 4
M. Guptill c Dhoni b Sreesanth 6
R. Taylor lbw b Sharma 20
J. Ryder c Raina b Harbhajan 59
K. Williamson c Sehwag b Ojha 0
D. Vettori b Sharma 3
G. Hopkins c Raina b Ojha 7
B. McCullum c Dhoni b Sharma 40
T. Southee c Sehwag b Ojha 38
A. McKay b Sharma 5
C. Martin not out 2
Extras (b-1, lb-5, nb-3) 9
Total (all out, 66.3 overs) 193
Fall of wickets: 1-11 2-16 3-42 4-43 5-51 6-82 7-124 8-159 9-165
Bowling: Sreesanth 12-4-28-2 (nb-1), Sharma 18-4-43-4 (nb-2), Ojha 19.3-2-57-3, Harbhajan 17-2-59-1
India first innings
G. Gambhir c Taylor b Southee 78
V. Sehwag c & b Vettori 74
R. Dravid not out 69
S. Tendulkar not out 57
Extras (b-8, lb-3, w-2, nb-1) 14
Total (two wickets; 82 overs) 292
To bat: VVS Laxman, S. Raina, MS Dhoni (captain), H. Singh, S. Sreesanth, P. Ojha, I. Sharma. Fall of wickets: 1-113 2-192
Bowling (to date): Martin 13-0-58-0 (w-1, nb-1), Southee 13-3-41-1, McKay 18-5-47-0 (w-1), Vettori 30-3-101-1, Williamson 3-0-18-0, Guptill 5-0-16-0
The three-test series is tied at 0-0 after two drawn matches.
