Hosts India are in a spot of bother to saver the Test after New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and veteran pacer Tim Southee compounded the hosts’ misery with a dominating partnership to take the total to 402 in the first innings of the first Test in Bengaluru on Friday.
At tea, India are 57 for no loss with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal batting on 27 with skipper Rohit Sharma on 27. India are still 299 runs adrift of New Zealand.
Resuming at the overnight score of 180 for three, India struck quick blows to reduce New Zealand to 233 for seven. But opener Ravindra, a batting all-rounder whose parents hail from the city, found an able ally in Tim Southee. The pair took the attack to the opposition, scoring 147 runs in under 22 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets each to help bowl out the visitors during the second session.
Early wickets
Ravindra hit a sparkling century to extend New Zealand’s lead to a commanding 356, while Southee scored an authoritative 65 with five fours and four sixes.
Ravindra raised his second century from 10 Test appearances with a boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin.
The tourists resumed on 180-3 but conceded four wickets for 53 runs in the morning, with Ravindra Jadeja striking twice in two overs.
India’s quicks bowled good spells in the morning with Mohammed Siraj taking the wicket of Daryl Mitchell, caught at gully for 18.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell was the next to depart with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah getting him caught at second slip for five.
Jadeja led the spin attack to send back Glenn Phillips for 14 and Matt Henry for eight with deliveries that skidded off the pitch to rattle the stumps.
Rishabh Pant's injury concerns
India said they were keeping Rishabh Pant off the field for the day after the wicketkeeper injured his knee on Thursday, with Dhruv Jurel substituted in on Thursday.
It was the same knee Pant hurt in a serious car crash in December 2022 that forced him out of action for more than a year.
New Zealand fast bowlers Henry and William O’Rourke shared nine wickets between them to bowl out India on day two for 46, their third-lowest Test score and lowest ever on home turf, on day two after the first day’s play was washed out due to rain.
— With inputs from AFP
