New Zealand chip away as India extend lead past 300
ByReuters
Published 25/09/2016 at 06:37 GMT
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.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
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.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement