The highest run-getter in world cricket termed the pitch as a “typical Kanpur wicket”. They had a plan against the spinners and they rotated the strike well.
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Skipper Kane Williamson, looking very assured against the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, is on 21 while left-handed opener Tom Latham is on 25. There were backward punches, use-of-feet, sweep shots and a few cuts as well. It was he who kept the famed Indian batting under a tight leash and forced the batsmen to play ill-judged strokes and lose their wickets. Not a rank-turner for sure, but of course it is expected to assist the spinners later on in the Test.
Spin was introduced in just the 3rd over, with pacemen Yadav and Mohammed Shami used only in short bursts.
“If they (New Zealand) play an attacking game it’s going to be good for us”.
New Zealand, though, had come to India with the belief that they had the tools they needed to compete hard.
Vijay had a single digit score of 7 to show in the Test series in the West Indies as he was in and out of the team.
Guptill could not convert the start he got and was trapped leg before by a full, swinging delivery from Umesh Yadav.
Guptill’s terrible run, hence, continued.
The Kiwis have made a resounding comeback in the Kanpur Test match after India looked to be in the drivers seat till the lunch session of Day 1. Jadeja was brought on in only the third over, giving visitors a glimpse of what is to follow in the long series ahead. Its wait ended when Pujara popped Santner’s straight delivery back into his hands. He had made a total of only 48 runs in four innings against them before his 65 in India’s first innings.
Though run scoring was not easy, India started well only to lose track in the post-lunch period. Trent Boult was excellent in the later phases of Day One.
Mitchell Santner celebrates an Indian wicket at Green Park yesterday. Inderbir Singh Sodhi and Mark Craig got one wicket each. Opener Lokesh Rahul raised expectations, but played casually to surrender his wicket for a score of 32. He became Santner’s first victim. At 154 for one, India were poised to streak out of sight.
Virat Kohli’s batting average in Tests against Neil Wagner. Perhaps, Kohli went on to play the hook shot, very early in his inninigs. India at that stage lost the plot a bit, and lost their advantage. We are just 20 minutes away from the start. He did put on a decent partnership with Ashwin, before getting out though. “We could have capitalised a little more after tea”.
India were at 291-9 at stumps on day one after Black Caps quick Trent Boult used the second new ball to wreak havoc.
“They batted well. Both Pujara and Vijay were quite positive”.
Rain washed out the final session of the second day of the first test against India on Friday. Yadav was picked over Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as the second seamer.
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India will also be without their experienced Delhi pacer Ishant Sharma, who is recovering from the mosquito-borne viral infection chikungunya.
