IND V NZ, 2ND TEST
Follow UsEvening Session
Stumps – India 90/6 (36 overs, lead by 97 runs)
In the flow of ascendancy, the advantage transferred from India to the Kiwis session by session, passage by passage. On a 16-wicket day, Six of India’s batsmen surrendered to the New Zealand pacers in the evening session.
Six years ago, James Anderson and co, troubled Virat Kohli outside off-stump, making the entire world engage in a conversation about the right-handers' apparent weakness. As Kohli ended his horror run in the current tour of New Zealand, the Kiwi pacers have ensured to spark a debate and subsequent analysis on a probable weakness on the ball that seams in.
In what seemed like a carbon-copy of his dismissal in the first innings, albeit to a different bowler – Colin de Grandhomme – Kohli, shuffling slightly across playing for a straight line, missed a ball that seamed in and hit his front pad. Unlike the first innings, Kohli did not waste a review on a plumb LBW.
If memory serves us right, this is not the first time in seaming conditions when Kohli, focussed on balls around his off-stump, ignored the threat of ball coming in. Vernon Philander exploited this in Cape Town in 2018. A few months later Ben Stokes used reverse swing to enforce a similar dismissal at Edgbaston when India fell short by 31 runs.
After Kohli, the dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara left India with diminished hopes of posting a decent target in the second innings. Rahane, while his short, troubled stay at the crease tried hard to not let his score cross his captain's. Attempting a pull off Neil Wagner, with fielders on the leg side boundary, he was given a life when de Grandhomme could not hold on to a straight forward chance at deep square leg. Acknowledging Rahane’s impatience, Kiwi pacers continued to feed him short balls to which he relentlessly kept attempting awkward pulls, hitting most of them off his helmet.
Wagner, red and blue in anger by now, tried a slow bouncer that did not rise much. Rahane, ready for another pre-emptive pull could not react properly to the lack of bounce, hit the ball with his bat on its way down and could only guide it to his stumps.
Trent Boult utilized the round the wicket angle to suck the life out of India’s batting. Pujara, the only batsman that looked solid in the passage of play, learnt his lesson from the second innings at the Basin Reserve. Attempting to defend (and not leave) a ball that significantly curled inwards off the angle, on the inside edge and was dismissed bowled as well. Boult's third wicket, that of the night-watchman Umesh Yadav, was another prize of some ala Wasim Akram level reverse swing from around the wicket. A length ball that seamed a long way in went through Umesh's bat and pads, demolishing the furniture.
India’s hope for a good start evaporated in the second over. Mayank Agarwal’s clarity of thought has largely been a reason for his success as a Test opener. Though in this Test, he seemed to be more concerned about the ball angling away from him (that he can leave) than the one coming into him (that he can't leave). Similar to the skipper, his dismissal too was a carbon copy from the first innings as he was caught in front of an incoming delivery from Boult.
Prithvi Shaw could not make a telling contribution in the second innings as Tim Southee used a short ball to bring about his downfall. The Mumbai-born batsman, indecisive to a bouncer, reacted late to fend it off only to get his glove and pop it to the slip cordon.
With a lead of only 97 runs and three uncertain batsmen to fight for India’s cause, things look bleak for the visitors.
Afternoon Session
Tea and End of innings – New Zealand (235/10, 73.1 overs, India lead by 7 runs)
At the pre-match conference, India’s head coach was boisterous, even pompous, about having plans to counter the tail-enders. Probably, he referred to a half-baked casual elevator pitch just before the conference on bowling short to them.
While Kyle Jamieson – who deserves a promotion – and Wagner put together a 51-run stand, none of India’s pacers attempted even a single yorker. Another position of strength ruined by an opposition lower-order counter-attack left Kohli plucking the hair off his beard in frustration.
As an illustration of the plan not being well-rounded, a top-edge off Wagner went straight to the fielder at fine leg as it should have been. However, the choice of the fielder at a position likely to receive a catch, Hanuma Vihari in this case, is questionable. Looking uncomfortable while the ball in the air, Vihari put it down leaving Mohammed Shami at loss of words. The pair added 37 more runs while both grew in confidence and hit three boundaries apiece after this.
Proving his importance in the side once again, Ravindra Jadeja produced an unbelievable fielding effort to bring the end of India’s despair. Placed a few yards short of the deep-square leg boundary, Jadeja jumped in the air to a shot from Wagner with his left hand lifted higher above. A ball that appeared heading to the boundary could not travel any further after hitting Jadeja’s left palm.
Easily the best batsman on the day, Jamieson, in at nine, batted with purpose and a technique that belongs higher up the order. As Umesh failed to continue the pressure built by seamers post-lunch delivered half-volleys and leg-side deliveries that were well dealt with by Jamieson. Stamping his authority, he hit Bumrah down the ground after Wagner’s dismissal. Completely deserving a half-century, he fell a run-shot as he top-edged a short ball from Shami and was well taken by Pant.
Following a dream morning session, good seemed to get better for India as Jasprit Bumrah produced a two-wicket over after lunch to leave New Zealand tattering. Looking to play his shots, BJ Watling, sliced a full ball only to find the safe-house Jadeja at gully. Southee, surprisingly batting above Jamieson nicked the second ball he faced to Rishabh Pant.
Colin de Grandhomme along with Jamieson stitched together a 24-run stand before Jadeja bowled a left-arm spinner’s dream ball. Pitching on middle and leg, the ball straightened and missing de Grandhomme’s outside edge, clipped the off stump.
The counterpunch from Jamieson and Wagner sucked any advantage that India hoped after the first two and a half-hour of play, turning the match into a battle of the second innings.
Morning Session
Lunch – New Zealand (142/5, 48 overs)
It started with a lion-hearted effort in the first hour from Umesh and Bumrah, in particular, imparting some belief to India. Perseverance from Shami later turned the tide significantly in favour of the touring team.
Bowling five and six overs each to start the morning, Umesh and Bumrah were watertight, giving away only 24 runs and more importantly denting the hosts twice to pump India after a sedate end to the first day.
In as rare an occurrence as any at Hagley Oval, Ravindra Jadeja, thanks to an awful shot selection from Ross Taylor provided India with their third wicket of the morning.
While Shami appeared unlucky for most of the morning session, his fortunes changed in consecutive overs as he struck twice to leave the hosts five down in the session and now reeling in the Test.
After warming up in the first over, Umesh provided the early look-in for India, dismissing the New Zealand opener, Tom Blundell, trapping him plumb in front. Blundell was late to bring his bat down to a length ball that came in a fraction.
The early breakthrough brought a spring in the step of Umesh and Bumrah. After the duo produced more plays and misses in the first six overs of the play than all of yesterday, Bumrah produced the magic ball. Giving an impression of an inswinger from an angle, forcing the Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson, to poke at it only to get his outside edge through to Pant.
The close-in fielders were buzzing by now with the pressure well and truly transferred. Tom Latham looked assured, tight with his defence – playing with his hands close to his body – and trusting the bounce while Ross Taylor, playing late and being non-committal. The pair started looking comfortable, stitching together a 40-run partnership.
After the first burst from the pacers, Kohli had no option but to turn to Jadeja. Contrary to his approach against the pacers, Taylor came down the track even before Jadeja could release the ball and miscued an ugly hoick. As the ball swirled in the air, Umesh, at point, ran back to complete a difficult chance.
Latham seemed like winning the battle of patience in the session. Decisive with his leaves – outside off and off the length – he looked unperturbed by oohs and aahs that followed some of his leaves. Not going into his shell, he produced scoring shorts whenever the ball was near his pads or full outside off-stump.
Living by the sword and dying by it, Latham attempted one leave too many off the length. Trusting the bounce of an in-dipper from Shami bowled from around the wicket, Latham, just after reaching his fifty, shouldered arms only to hear the death rattle of the ball hitting his off-stump. One brought two as Shami produced an outside edge of an out of touch Henry Nicholls. Kohli, at second slip, ensured to thrust his hands underneath the ball before it touched the ground.
