NZ chip away as India extend lead past 300
NZ claimed three wickets in the morning session but India extended their advantage to a daunting 308 runs by lunch on Sunday.
|||Kanpur, India – New Zealand spinners claimed three wickets in the morning session but India extended their advantage to a daunting 308 runs by lunch on the fourth day of the first test at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium on Sunday.
Rather predictably, Kane Williamson attacked with spin from both ends when India resumed on 159 for one and the slow bowlers, thriving on a fourth day surface, did not let the New Zealand skipper down.
India, however, had progressed to 252-4 at the break with Ajinkya Rahane (21) and Rohit Sharma (12) in the middle.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner earned the breakthrough when he trapped Murali Vijay lbw for 76, ending the right-hander’s second century-plus stand of the match with Cheteshwar Pujara (78).
Virat Kohli did not look comfortable against Santner but it was off-spinner Mark Craig who dismissed the Indian skipper when he attempted a slog-sweep that found Ish Sodhi at deep midwicket.
Sodhi struck the next blow with a beauty of a delivery that spun from outside leg, took the outside edge of Pujara’s bat and nestled into Ross Taylor’s waiting hands in the slip.
The turn and bounce that their three-pronged spin attack generated from the dry track is unlikely to enthuse New Zealand, though, knowing they face the unenviable task of batting fourth on a deteriorating track chasing a mammoth target.
– Reuters