India on top, after New Zealand crumble in first session
India dominated the first session of play, while New Zealand crumbled in the middle overs on Day 2 at lunch, assembling 341/9. The home team made them sweat for their runs as they grabbed 5 wickets just before lunch, conceding 83 runs in the process.
Zaheer Khan started the proceedings for India in an emphatic manner as he dismissed Gareth Hopkins in the third over of the day. He bowled the delivery from around the wicket it pitched on the off-stump and held its line to strike Hopkins right in-front
of the stumps.
Moreover, around the wicket angle created a few problems for the batsmen as they have no clue, whether to leave it or to play it. This time around, Kane Williamson became prey to a similar delivery that brought the demise of Gareth. Meanwhile, the left-arm
quick bowler has registered decent figures of 4/66.
Harbhajan Singh completely supported the left-arm bowler as he gathered three wickets in quick succession. It was a second day wicket, so it gripped and turned off the surface. The off-spinner licked his lips in anticipation to wreak havoc for the opposition
on a spinning track.
Furthermore, Singh’s mean and gritty off-break bowling earned him figures of 3/74. In doing so, the duo of Zaheer and the turbunator scythed through the middle order as they grabbed all 5 wickets between them.
Previously, the visitors started the day on a score-line of 258/4. Martin Guptill stroked a well made 85 runs to assist the opening batsmen Tim McIntosh, who mustered his first century against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Tim’s century is the first by a Kiwi opener in six years.
In doing so, they set a strong base for the middle order to boost a huge first innings total.
The visiting team started the 2nd day in a poor manner as they lost two quick wickets in the space of 6 overs. Jessie Ryder led his team’s fight-back as he carried on scoring runs at a quicker rate, despite losing wickets in quick succession.
Ryder carried his form in the 2nd Test and he racked up a scintillating 70-run inning. The left-hander stood like a pillar of strength, when his partners fell away during the course of the innings.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 will start the 2nd session of the play with one wicket to play. Brent Arnel and Chris Martin will face the music. India will look to wrap up the innings as quickly as possible.
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