India were poised to set a substantial first innings lead over New Zealand when they ended the second day of the first Test yesterday one run behind and with six wickets in hand.
Steady batting by India, restricted by New Zealand’s defensive approach and their own reluctance to take risks, led them to 278 for four at the close when bad light ended play six overs early. With Sachin Tendulkar unbeaten on 70, Yuvraj Singh on 8 and strong batting to follow, the way was clear for India to dominate the Test.
New Zealand — after scoring a meek 279 on a placid wicket — managed just four wickets during the day.
PHOTO: AFP
Verinder Sehwag was run out early, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid both reached 50 but failed to make their centuries and V.V.S. Laxman fell to the second delivery with the new ball.
Chris Martin, dropped for the West Indies series early this year, celebrated his recall as the most effective of the bowlers, taking the wickets of Gambhir and Laxman to produce figures of two for 53 off 20 overs.
There was no urgency about the Indian innings, in part because of the defensive fields set by Daniel Vettori in an attempt to force the visitors into taking the initiative if they wanted to keep the board ticking over.
Instead, Gambhir, Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar were prepared to sit back and wait for the loose deliveries, which led to New Zealand sending down 21 maidens, seven by Martin and five by Jesse Ryder out of his total of seven overs.
Tendulkar had faced 135 balls for his 70 and was fortunate not to be out for 13 when Daniel Flynn was able to get his fingertips to a top edge, but could not hold the ball.
Gambhir, who was trapped leg before wicket off a no-ball from Kyle Mills’ first delivery of the day when on 6, went on to make 72 off 135 deliveries.
But his concentration failed to a reverse swing delivery from Martin, that he edged through to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, ending a 105-run partnership with Rahul Dravid for the second wicket.
Dravid went soon after, bowled by O’Brien with a ball that nipped back between bat and pad, with his 138-ball innings 66 including 12 fours.
Tendulkar and Laxman added 61 in 28 overs for the fourth wicket, before Martin took Laxman with the second new ball, caught by Ross Taylor at first slip for 30.
But while Martin was frugal at one end, Tendulkar was particularly harsh at the other on Kyle Mills, who proved the most expensive of the New Zealand bowlers with none for 70 off 15 overs.
The first Indian wicket to fall was Virender Sehwag, who had tormented New Zealand with his explosive hitting through the recent one-day international series and looked equally comfortable in the Test.
He was undone by an accurate throw from James Franklin and run out in the third over of the morning.
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