India 2-100 (Shikhar Dhawan 71*, Cheteshwar Pujara 19, Trent Boult 1-18) trails New Zealand 192 (Kane Williamson 47, Jimmy Neesham 33, Ishant Sharma 6-51, Mohammed Shami 4-70) by 92 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
The spearhead of the Indian pace battery, Ishant Sharma, well assisted by Mohammed Shami penetrated through the batting line up of the Kiwis in the 1st innings.
The Black Caps were bowled out for 192 runs in 52.5 overs and the visitors smashed 100 for the loss of two mere wickets after 28.
The second and final Test of the series commenced on Friday, February 14, 2014, at Basin Reserve, Wellington.
Earlier, MS Dhoni, won the toss and invited the hosts to bat first on a grassy track. The top order batsmen of the New Zealand surrendered against the hostile quick bowling of India and especially Ishant Sharma was unplayable. He got rid of three of them while Mohammed Shami got the fourth one and the home side was reeling at 4-45. Corey Anderson got together with Kane Williamson and they crept to 84 when the first was gone for 24. The latter kept on fighting with a couple of small associations but became the seventh victim at 133 after scoring 47 runs. Jimmy Neesham along with Tim Southee contributed 33 and 32 while the innings of the entire home side was folded back for 192.
Ishant Sharma was the star of the day with six wickets and Mohammed Shami chipped in with four.
India lost their first wicket at just two when Murali Vijay was caught behind by BJ Watling off Tim Southee. Cheteshwar Pujara joined in with Shikhar Dhawan and the duo kept along scoring at a reasonable pace. Dhawan was the most aggressive of the two and reached his fifty with a four. The partnership was dislodged at 89 when Pujara was declared leg before wicket off Trent Boult for 19. Ishant Sharma dropped in as a night watchman and secured his end with three whereas Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten at 71 as the tourists touched 100 in 28 overs.
India got the honours of the day with a wonderful display of bowling and batting whereas New Zealand looks like being in trouble.
Leave a Reply