Only Rain Can Rescue New Zealand Now As India Close In On Win In Kanpur Test

ALL OVER BAR THE SHOUTING

Only Rain Can Rescue New Zealand Now As India Close In On Win In Kanpur Test

Throughout the 40-minute lunch break on Day Four of the first Test, India coach Anil Kumble was stationed right in the middle of Green Park, poring over the pitch and talking to the ground staff.

With New Zealand certain to bat later in the day , Kumble would have taken note of the state of the pitch and how best it could be exploited by his spinners ­ R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

The Kiwis did come out in their second innings right after tea, looking at a virtually impossible task ­ a target of 434 runs in the fourth innings against a rampaging spin attack on a track which was not exactly behaving.

Soon, Kumble's main weapon, Ashwin began the ritual of hypnotising and immobilising the hapless batsmen with his craft. Taking the new ball, he sent back openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham in his second over itself. At stumps, New Zealand were 934, still 340 behind India.India still have a minimum of 98 overs on Monday to finish off the game which they should be able to do, and in quick time.

Some thundershowers are forecast on Monday and that is New Zealand's big hope because even a passing shower can interrupt a fair share of play in Green Park due to inadequate ground facilities, as one saw on Day 2.

After the fall of the openers, senior batsmen -skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor ­ did their best to navigate the choppy waters but when Ashwin is bowling the way he was on a track offering help, a wicket looks imminent all the time.

Soon, Ashwin turned one alarmingly to beat Williamson's bat and get him out leg-before to become the second fastest to 200 Test wickets, a well-deserved milestone for an outstanding bowler. At 433, their best batsman gone, it looked curtains for New Zealand, and a matter of time for India before they raised the victory salute. New Zealand's problems were compounded when Taylor was run out soon.

Guptill, enduring a severe form slump, tried the sweep and the ball bounced off his pad to M Vijay at silly point. The appeal was deafening as more than 20,000 fans present in the stands ap pealed along with the Indian players.Umpire R Kettleborough made a quick and excellent decision.

Taylor looked like he would get out any ball against Ashwin. He was lucky to survive two very close leg-before shouts. Taylor's misery was ended when he was run out by an Umesh Yadav throw as he failed to plonk the bat down at the non-striker's end even though the willow was well inside the crease.

Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner, who had held India up for a while in the first innings, once again stemmed the tide and played out the final 15.3 overs without getting separated as Ashwin and Jadeja began tiring.

It was only later that Ashwin revealed he has been nursing a corn in a finger of his bowling hand for close to a month and has not been able to practise properly .

Earlier, on a day almost completely dominated by the hosts, their batsmen made the Kiwis huff and puff in the humidity . New Zealand had some early success ­ overnight batsmen Vijay (76, 170 balls, 8x4, 1x60) and Cheteshwar Pujara (78, 152, 10x4) went back early and Virat Kohli (18, 40, 3x4) agsin fell cheaply.

Ajinkya Rahane made an unconvincing 40 (81, 4x4) to take the game further away from the Kiwis. It was, however, the Rohit Sharma-Jadeja partnership for the sixth wicket which hit the Kiwis the harders.

Jadeja, having a peach of a Test, complemented his unbeaten 42 in the first essay with a delightful 50 not out which had the crowd on its feet. His three sixes off Ish Sodhi whetted the appetite of the crowd. India needed quick runs and Jadeja batted with urgency , making good his promotion over Ashwin. Sharma too joined the fun, making their partnership was the most exhilarating passage of play on the day .

(TOI)