“It’s a very good score, 20 runs short, but tomorrow morning if Jaddu gets it going, 320-330 would be a very good score”.
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Rohit Sharma (35) once again got a start only to throw it away at the fag end of the day.
They brought up their individual fifties in successive overs before Santner had Pujara popping a simple return catch. Ravindra Jadeja (11*) and Umesh Yadav (8*) then saw off the day without much trouble. At the start of the first day at Green Park, India looked as though they might turn the luck of the coin into a mountainous first-innings total.
Williamson was at the forefront with smart bowling changes and tactical decisions and the confidence he and coach Mike Hesson showed in their spin trio of Santner, Ish Sodhi (1/50) and Mark Craig (1/59) paid rich dividends.
Boult, in his final spell of the day, got rid of Ashwin wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (0) and Mohammed Shami (0), almost polishing off the Indian tail.
Had Nicholls played it would have meant four lefthanders in the top eight, which may play into the hands of the formidable offspinner Ashwin.
Left-arm paceman Wagner also bowled his heart out in the second session and was rewarded with the important wicket of Kohli.
Indian-born leg-spinner Sodhi then added a wicket of his own, a sliding delivery finding the outside edge of a cutting Vijay.
Vijay was more circumspect and did a solid job for his team before his dismissal after 170 balls over his 65. “You have to play extra bowler or batsman according to the conditions”, Kohli observed. His innings was studded with four boundaries and a six.
Sharma, who had survived a strong lbw appeal against Craig earlier in his innings, played a mistimed shot to mid-on.
Vijay and Pujara continued in their nonchalant way in the post-lunch session, untroubled by the Kiwi bowlers. During this stand, both the batsmen reached respective half-centuries. Despite Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara setting up the innings, India lost wickets regularly as the batsmen struggled to counter the Kiwi spinners.
Vijay said the New Zealand spin attack was decent. Quicker delivery from Santner and Watling has held onto a brilliant catch.
He conceded spin might make or break fortunes in the series but did not agree fully with team mate Ross Taylor’s suggestion of employing the sweep shot frequently to negate the Indian spinners.
However, the Indian captain lasted only 10 balls. Looking to pull a short ball from Wagner, he mis-hit it straight down the throat of the well-set deep leg-side fielder.
Williamson and his team have a challenging stuff in the form of R Ashwin, and if, they will somehow find a way of dealing Ashwin then they can create the history by winning the Test series for the first time in India.
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The 500th Test match for India began with the felicitation of the former and current Indian captains. Rahul was confident and comfortable at the crease and never looked like being troubled by either of the two fast bowlers.
