AUCKLAND, (Reuters) – New Zealand lost four early second innings wickets but still extended their lead to 316 runs at lunch on the third day of the first test against a resurgent India at Eden Park yesterday.
Opting not to enforce the follow-on after India collapsed to 202 all out, the hosts were reduced to 15 for four, having lost Peter Fulton (5) and Hamish Rutherford (0) to Mohammed Shami, with Kane Williamson brilliantly caught by Ravindra Jadeja at short midwicket for three off Zaheer Khan.
Captain Brendon McCullum, who was dropped by Murali Vijay in the slips in the final over before lunch, was run out for one after a brilliant throw by Jadeja three balls later.
Ross Taylor went to the break on five not out and will be joined by Corey Anderson when play resumes after the interval.
New Zealand had bowled India out 45 minutes earlier and McCullum may now regret his decision not to ask India to bat again, instead choosing to give his bowlers a rest after they had taken six wickets for 72 runs in an extended first session.
Play had started 30 minutes early to make up for time lost due to bad light on Friday with the visitors resuming on 130-4 and their fortunes resting in the hands of Rohit Sharma (67) and Ajinkya Rahane (23), India’s last recognised batsmen.
DRAGGED ON
The pair, however, never looked comfortable and were pushing hard at the ball rather than letting it go through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling as Trent Boult and Tim Southee extracted plenty of swing and seam movement.
That indiscipline led to their downfall as Rahane (26) pushed at a wide Southee delivery and only succeeded in getting a nick to Ross Taylor at first slip to reduce the visitors to 138-5, ending an 87-run partnership.
The visitors’ hopes of compiling a competitive total diminished further in the next over when Rohit pushed at a Boult delivery that was going across him and dragged the ball onto his stumps to be bowled for 72.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was next to go when he edged a Neil Wagner delivery to Watling for 10 before the left-armer got Zaheer to nick behind for 14 as India’s tail adopted a free-swinging approach to the New Zealand bowlers.
Ishant Sharma was caught by Boult at mid off after trying to hit Southee out of the ground and while Jadeja landed some lusty blows, Wagner wrapped up the innings when Shami edged to Fulton at second slip to finish with figures of 4-64.
The second match of the two-test series is in Wellington and starts on Feb. 14.
SCOREBOARD
India won the toss and opted to bowl
– –
New Zealand first innings (503)
India first innings (overnight 130-4)
S. Dhawan c Williamson b Boult 0
M. Vijay b Wagner 26
C Pujara c Watling b Boult 1
V. Kohli c Fulton b Southee 4
R. Sharma b Boult 72
A. Rahane c Taylor b Southee 26
MS Dhoni c Watling b Dhoni 10
R. Jadeja not out 30
Z. Khan c Watling b Wagner 14
I. Sharma c Boult b Southee 0
M. Shami c Fulton b Wagner 2
Extras: (nb-3, b-5, lb-6, w-3) 17
Total (all out, 60 overs) 202
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-3 3-10 4-51 5-138 6-138 7-167 8-188 9-189 10-202
Bowling: Boult 17-2-38-3 (nb-2), Southee 19-6-38-3, Anderson 5-0-29-0 (w-3), Wagner 11-0-64-4, Sodhi 6-0-13-0, Williamson 2-0-9-0
– –
New Zealand second innings
P. Fulton c Jadeja b Shami 5
H. Rutherford lbw b Shami 0
K. Williamson c Jadeja b Zaheer 3
R. Taylor not out 5
B. McCullum run out 1
Extras: (w-1) 1
Total (for four wickets, 7.4 overs) 15
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-9 3-11
Bowling (to date): Shami 4-0-11-2 (w-1), Zaheer 3.4-1-4-1