Both teams, India and New Zealand, are evenly placed after two days of cricket, although the last session of second day was washed out by rain in Kanpur. The back flaps which provide extra support to the skull fell onto his stumps, but didn´t dislodge the bails.
Advertisement
India’s Umesh Yadav trapped opener Martin Guptill lbw for 21 after the hosts, who are playing their 500th Test, were bowled out for 318 in the first hour of play on day two.
Resuming on 291 for nine, Jadeja finished with an unbeaten 42 at nearly a run a ball as he and Umesh Yadav took their last-wicket stand to 41 and the total beyond 300.
But despite the challenging conditions, the New Zealand batsmen still managed to maintain a decent scoring rate. He was caught at short-leg off Jadeja, when a sweep bounced up off his boot on 47, but not out because the ball hit the close-in fielder Lokesh Rahul’s helmet as he held it.
The decision was referred to the third umpire who ruled in the batsman’s favour after replays suggested the ball had touched the chin strap of Rahul’s helmet.
Left-arm spinner Jadeja bowled with four close-in fielders to put the visiting batsmen under pressure but the visitors handled the spin easily.
Earlier, Guptill started with positive intent as he struck three boundaries in his 31-ball stay before being undone by Umesh Yadav’s pacy, in-swinging delivery.
India will now look up to their spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – to keep the home team’s unbeaten streak at Green Park intact.
Jadeja also hit Santner for a six but could not complete his second test half century as Neil Wagner had Yadav caught behind to end India’s 41-run 10th-wicket partnership.
For New Zealand, spinner Santner and pacer Trent Boult claimed three wickets each, while Wagner bagged a couple and Ish Sodhi and Craig got one wicket a piece.
Advertisement
Williamson leads NZ reply on rain-hit day was posted in Sports of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on September 23, 2016 and was last updated on September 23, 2016.
