India were bundled out for 242 despite 3 of their batsmen posting fifty-plus scores on the opening day of the 2nd and final Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.
India’s 242 is the third lowest total in Test history when 3 or more batsmen in the top 7 scored more than 50 runs. A familiar lower-order collapse saw India lose their last 6 wickets for just 48 runs.
Adding to India’s woes on Day 1, New Zealand opener Tom Blundell and Tom Latham survived the opening burst from India’s new-ball bowlers and went to Stumps unbeaten, adding 63 for the 1st-wicket stand.
India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 1: Highlights
Virat Kohli operated with pacers and all 3 of them — Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah — struggled to pose any trouble to Blundell and Latham. In fact, the trio did not bowl full-length deliveries consistently, thereby failing to make use of the sideways movement that the New Zealand pacers exploited earlier in the day.
Stumps in Christchurch!
Tom Latham and Tom Blundell compile a watchful 63-run opening stand, reducing ‘s deficit to 1 7 9 .#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/XzJ1eBMN0m
ICC (@ICC) February 29, 2020
Prithvi Shaw silences critics
Things did not go India’s way after early-morning drizzle delayed the toss by 45 minutes in Christchurch. Virat Kohli failed to call it right at the toss and Kane Williamson did not have any second thoughts about sending India into bat on a green top at the Hagley Oval.
India lost a review and opener Mayank Agarwal ( 7) cheaply when Trent Boult got one to swing in and strike his pads.
However, young opener Prithvi Shaw took the attack to the New Zealand new-ball bowlers and made sure there wasn’t much damage in the pre-lunch session.
Prithvi Shaw hit 8 boundaries and a six for his 54 before throwing it away 15 minutes before lunch was taken. Shaw got to his fifty by hooking Neil Wagner over the fine leg boundary but chased a wide one from Kyle Jamieson that was wonderfully caught by Tom Blundell at the 2nd slip.
Prithvi became the 2nd youngest Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to hit a Test fifty in New Zealand before failing to convert the start into a big knock.
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Another failure for Virat Kohli
Captain Virat Kohli then joined Cheteshwar Pujara as the duo saw off a tricky phase of 15 minutes after lunch. However, Kohli perished failing to put bat on a straight one from Tim Southee right after lunch.
Kohli departed for 3, thereby taking his tally to a sorrow-looking 204 in 10 innings on the ongoing New Zealand tour. The skipper also wasted a review by opting to review what looked an easy on-field LBW decision.
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane followed suit for 7 as New Zealand picked up 2 wickets in quick succession after lunch.
Hanuma Vihari throws it away after fighting fifty
However, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari came up with a stiff fight, adding 81 runs for the 5th wicket. The two started cautiously but were keeping the scorers busy in the 2nd session.
Just when it looked like, India would go to tea with a dominant 2nd session, Neil Wagner employed his tried and tested short-ball tactic to get the big wicket of Hanuma Vihari just before tea.
Vihari, who was brave enough to go after Wagner’s short-balls, perished when the New Zealand pacer aimed one at the body.
48 runs, 6 wickets: Familiar Indian collapse in Christchurch
Vihari’s dismissal at 55 triggered the collapse as India went from 194 for 4 to 242-all out.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who got off the mark with an uncharacteristic chip shot over covers, perished while trying to take on a Kyle Jamieson short ball for 54 just after tea.
Having lost 2 big wickets on either side of tea, India needed Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja to step up with the bat. However, both of them perished without troubling the scorers much.
Rishabh Pant’s shoddy stay in the middle ended on 12 when he played a Kyle Jamieson delivery while Ravindra Jadeja failed to hang around with the tail as he top-edged a bouncer from the young New Zealand pacer.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami added an entertaining 26 for the final wicket but India’s tail failed to wag yet again.
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