Spinners strike but India stretch lead past 300

New Zealand's spinners bowled with the kind of conviction that would have both encouraged Kane Williamson and the team management about their battle-readiness for the series ahead and yet would have left their mouths dry at the prospect of having to bat last on the surface as India pushed their lead to 308 in the first session of the fourth day's play in Kanpur on Sunday (September 25).

It was hard work for the batsmen, even for those in form like Murali Vijay (76) and Cheteshwar Pujara (78) as the ball spun, kicked up viciously and threw up a puff of dust every time it landed on the footmarks. The pitch now demanded more from the batsmen and the close-in fielders alike as New Zealand began proceedings with spin from either end.

Having let the lead swell past 200 in the final session on Day 3, the visitors had one of two options to do. The bolder choice, one of all-out attack, brought with it, the danger of India scoring rapidly to force an early declaration. Alternatively, they could take up a conservative option to save time with the forecast of the customary late-afternoon showers. They settled on an intermediate role, one that had as many fielders close to the bat as there were in sweeping positions on the boundary.

The ever-so-accurate Mitchell Santner beat Cheteshwar Pujara's bat on a couple of occasions in his first two overs bit it was Murali Vijay, who was undone by this spin attack first. Santner got one to go with the arm and trapped Vijay adjacent to the stumps after a succession of deliveries that spun away after pitching, ending a 133-run stand for the second wicket. Vijay, typically elegant for much of his 170-ball innings, had to drag himself off the crease after missing another opportunity to add to his six Test centuries.

That early dismissal allowed the Sunday crowd at the Green Park stadium to stretch their vocal chords for the first time as Virat Kohli marched purposefully into the middle. Two slips, a silly point and a catching short-cover welcomed him to the middle. The uncommon, scratchy version of the Indian captain, however, found the proceedings just as hard to negate despite a compulsive need to stamp his authority. After a few uncharacteristic dabs and mistimed short-arm pull, Kohli attempted to sweep Mark Craig off the rough and could only top-edge his stroke into the welcoming palms of the deep mid-wicket fielder. Even as he trundled off, there was a growing sense that India's lead, which had gone past 260 by then, had already extended beyond New Zealand's reach.

Ish Sodhi then denied Pujara a century by getting one to spin across the right hander from around the wicket and had him caught at slip. Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma ensured that the lead was pushed past 300 albeit the occasional pitch-induced hiccup. The hosts had added 93 in a session even when batting was not comfortable and that means they may not need to accelerate all that much in the second session as well. Four sessions of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja might just be enough to force a win here.