New Zealand Lose Latham Early After Pujara
New Zealand danced to Cheteshwar Pujara's tunes as India laid into the opposition in the vital post-Lunch session, before declaring on 216 for 3 and setting the visitors a harrowing target of 475 on Day 4 of the third and final Test at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. In just the second over of the innings, Umesh Yadav trapped left-handed Tom Latham in front of the stumps to further add to the visitors' misery, as they went into the Tea break on 38 for 1.
There was a real show of intent, India's buzzword under Virat Kohli, as India's middle-order batsman came out hammer and tongs to race away to his eighth Test century off 149 balls, after he had taken 96 balls for his fifty in the first session. The trend in his batting, however, wasn't a new one, as his early success in Tests was characterised by this aspect - wherein he would seamlessly shift gears after getting to his fifty-run milestone.
The visitors started the session with spin from both ends, and struck gold as Kohli departed for 17 while trying to play on the front foot. He showed the urge to cut and sweep early on, and eventually fell leg before wicket to Jeetan Patel while trying the latter. The Indian captain was understandably miffed with himself, and was also seen shaking his head after watching replays from the dressing room. Umpire Bruce Oxenford hadn't hesitated to raise his finger but the impact, as the TV footage showed, was outside the line of off-stump.
The spirits of the Kohli-loving crowd was soon lifted by Pujara's stroke making, as he constantly pierced narrowest of fields and punished balls that came with an open invitation to be taken apart. The contrast in Pujara's demeanour in the second session, as compared to his nervy-self in the first, was typified by an exquisite late cut off Mitchell Santner, managing to find the tiny gap between backward point and short third man. He didn't hesitate to heave over deep midwicket when Patel kept it short and put in extra effort into his running as India benefitted from a rejuvenated Pujara. From a nervy-turned-watchful 50 off 98 deliveries, he raced away to a fluent 100 off 147 balls.
With his 20-ball 23, Ajinkya Rahane also demonstrated his worth to the Indian Test side, as he matched Pujara for exhilaration and ensured New Zealand didn't find a way back after Kohli's exit. He scored three fours in his brief stay, and added 58 off 54 balls with Pujara for fourth wicket.
Kohli declared right after Pujara reached his century, giving his bowlers close to four and a half sessions to ensure a series whitewash.
Following Latham's early departure, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson faced a lot fiery short-pitched bowling from the two Indian pacers. Guptill even needed medical assistance after a short ball struck him on the wrist. Kohli unleashed his trump card Ravichandran Ashwin in the last over before Tea to test Williamson's resolve. The New Zealand captain won the opening round of his battle against the Indian spinner in the second innings as he scored two fours and survived the over to take the team to Tea without further damage.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand had a similarly positive start to the morning session, when they dismissed Murali Vijay cheaply. Gautam Gambhir, who had trudged off retired hurt on Day 3, walked out at No. 3 even as the crowd chanted 'Kohli.. Kohli.. Kohli' in anticipation.
After a tentative first half of the session, Gambhir changed the complexion of the proceedings by taking the bowlers on. As a left-hander known to be a good player of spin, he negated Santner's impact. The left-arm tweaker had his say against Pujara, troubling him constantly. Gambhir's arrival however, forced Williamson to take his wicket-taker off the attack.
Gambhir soon scored a half-century, his first since 2012, before failing to clear Gutpill at cover. He walked off after having scored his second-fastest Test fifty (off 56 balls) as India's lead stretched past 350. Kohli arrived to loud cheers but next round of applause was reserved for Pujara, who brought up his fourth fifty in five innings in the series.
Brief Scores: India 557/5 decl. & 216/3 decl. (Cheteshwar Pujara 101*, Gautam Gambhir 50; Jeetan Patel 2-56) lead New Zealand 299 (Martin Guptill 72, James Neesham 71, Tom Latham 53; Ravichandran Ashwin 6-81) & 38/1 (Williamson 23*; Umesh Yadav 1-8) by 437 runs.
There was a real show of intent, India's buzzword under Virat Kohli, as India's middle-order batsman came out hammer and tongs to race away to his eighth Test century off 149 balls, after he had taken 96 balls for his fifty in the first session. The trend in his batting, however, wasn't a new one, as his early success in Tests was characterised by this aspect - wherein he would seamlessly shift gears after getting to his fifty-run milestone.
The visitors started the session with spin from both ends, and struck gold as Kohli departed for 17 while trying to play on the front foot. He showed the urge to cut and sweep early on, and eventually fell leg before wicket to Jeetan Patel while trying the latter. The Indian captain was understandably miffed with himself, and was also seen shaking his head after watching replays from the dressing room. Umpire Bruce Oxenford hadn't hesitated to raise his finger but the impact, as the TV footage showed, was outside the line of off-stump.
The spirits of the Kohli-loving crowd was soon lifted by Pujara's stroke making, as he constantly pierced narrowest of fields and punished balls that came with an open invitation to be taken apart. The contrast in Pujara's demeanour in the second session, as compared to his nervy-self in the first, was typified by an exquisite late cut off Mitchell Santner, managing to find the tiny gap between backward point and short third man. He didn't hesitate to heave over deep midwicket when Patel kept it short and put in extra effort into his running as India benefitted from a rejuvenated Pujara. From a nervy-turned-watchful 50 off 98 deliveries, he raced away to a fluent 100 off 147 balls.
With his 20-ball 23, Ajinkya Rahane also demonstrated his worth to the Indian Test side, as he matched Pujara for exhilaration and ensured New Zealand didn't find a way back after Kohli's exit. He scored three fours in his brief stay, and added 58 off 54 balls with Pujara for fourth wicket.
Kohli declared right after Pujara reached his century, giving his bowlers close to four and a half sessions to ensure a series whitewash.
Following Latham's early departure, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson faced a lot fiery short-pitched bowling from the two Indian pacers. Guptill even needed medical assistance after a short ball struck him on the wrist. Kohli unleashed his trump card Ravichandran Ashwin in the last over before Tea to test Williamson's resolve. The New Zealand captain won the opening round of his battle against the Indian spinner in the second innings as he scored two fours and survived the over to take the team to Tea without further damage.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand had a similarly positive start to the morning session, when they dismissed Murali Vijay cheaply. Gautam Gambhir, who had trudged off retired hurt on Day 3, walked out at No. 3 even as the crowd chanted 'Kohli.. Kohli.. Kohli' in anticipation.
After a tentative first half of the session, Gambhir changed the complexion of the proceedings by taking the bowlers on. As a left-hander known to be a good player of spin, he negated Santner's impact. The left-arm tweaker had his say against Pujara, troubling him constantly. Gambhir's arrival however, forced Williamson to take his wicket-taker off the attack.
Gambhir soon scored a half-century, his first since 2012, before failing to clear Gutpill at cover. He walked off after having scored his second-fastest Test fifty (off 56 balls) as India's lead stretched past 350. Kohli arrived to loud cheers but next round of applause was reserved for Pujara, who brought up his fourth fifty in five innings in the series.
Brief Scores: India 557/5 decl. & 216/3 decl. (Cheteshwar Pujara 101*, Gautam Gambhir 50; Jeetan Patel 2-56) lead New Zealand 299 (Martin Guptill 72, James Neesham 71, Tom Latham 53; Ravichandran Ashwin 6-81) & 38/1 (Williamson 23*; Umesh Yadav 1-8) by 437 runs.
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