India claim 112-run lead despite Patel's resistance
India claimed a potentially decisive 112-run first-innings lead despite an admirable show of resistance from Jeetan Patel on the third morning of the second Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (October 2). The Warwickshire off-spinner scored a run-a-ball 47 as he and BJ Wattling effectively put paid to Virat Kohli's hopes of wrapping the New Zealand innings early with a 60-run stand for the eighth wicket. India were frustrated by a brief rain delay and an overstepping transgression but once Ravichandran Ashwin gave them the breakthrough after drinks, Mohammed Shami ensured that they achieved a significant first-innings advantage.
Patel traded caution for adventurism as early as the first ball of the day's play when he got a nice stride to meet a Bhuvneshwar Kumar length delivery and drove the seamer uppishly past mid-off for four. With the Indian seamers deploying additional catching fielders close to the batsmen, boundaries came thick and fast. Ravindra Jadeja was brought on with Shami getting a change of bowling ends but the left-armer's first over saw two boundaries scored on either side of the wicket.
A brief stoppage in play caused due to a passing shower annoyed Kohli to great lengths as the Indian captain appeared to suggest that the umpires ought to have kept the players on the field. The prospering stand was getting to India by this time.
As the partnership swelled past 30, Patel helped himself to more acts of contained daredevilry, such as playing a paddle-sweep off Ravindra Jadeja. Three boundaries in one over took the offie to 47 before Jadeja appeared to have had his man with the slider. The umpire saw no objection in ruling it out LBW but the third umpire overturned the decision after the video replays indicated Jadeja's lapse.
Patel, however, couldn't cash in on the reprieve as he decided to throw caution to the winds against Ashwin's first delivery of the day. It was the drifter from the wily off spinner which moved away after pitching, resulting in a horrible sweep miscue. Shami, who settled under that catch at mid-off, then came into the attack to take the final two wickets of the innings with the reverse-swinging old ball.
India's openers, who were sent in to face a five-over burst before lunch, did well to extend that lead to 124 without losing any other wicket. Shikhar Dhawan, in particular, was lucky to survive Trent Boult's short-ball hostilities having copped two blows to his thumb in successive overs.
In what should be the best conditions in the day, India will look to bat their opposition out of the contest between Lunch and Tea.
Brief Scores: India 316 & 12/0 lead New Zealand 204 (Jeetan Patel 47, Ross Taylor 36; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5-48, Mohammed Shami 3-70) by 124 runs.
Patel traded caution for adventurism as early as the first ball of the day's play when he got a nice stride to meet a Bhuvneshwar Kumar length delivery and drove the seamer uppishly past mid-off for four. With the Indian seamers deploying additional catching fielders close to the batsmen, boundaries came thick and fast. Ravindra Jadeja was brought on with Shami getting a change of bowling ends but the left-armer's first over saw two boundaries scored on either side of the wicket.
A brief stoppage in play caused due to a passing shower annoyed Kohli to great lengths as the Indian captain appeared to suggest that the umpires ought to have kept the players on the field. The prospering stand was getting to India by this time.
As the partnership swelled past 30, Patel helped himself to more acts of contained daredevilry, such as playing a paddle-sweep off Ravindra Jadeja. Three boundaries in one over took the offie to 47 before Jadeja appeared to have had his man with the slider. The umpire saw no objection in ruling it out LBW but the third umpire overturned the decision after the video replays indicated Jadeja's lapse.
Patel, however, couldn't cash in on the reprieve as he decided to throw caution to the winds against Ashwin's first delivery of the day. It was the drifter from the wily off spinner which moved away after pitching, resulting in a horrible sweep miscue. Shami, who settled under that catch at mid-off, then came into the attack to take the final two wickets of the innings with the reverse-swinging old ball.
India's openers, who were sent in to face a five-over burst before lunch, did well to extend that lead to 124 without losing any other wicket. Shikhar Dhawan, in particular, was lucky to survive Trent Boult's short-ball hostilities having copped two blows to his thumb in successive overs.
In what should be the best conditions in the day, India will look to bat their opposition out of the contest between Lunch and Tea.
Brief Scores: India 316 & 12/0 lead New Zealand 204 (Jeetan Patel 47, Ross Taylor 36; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5-48, Mohammed Shami 3-70) by 124 runs.
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