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Ross Taylor puts New Zealand in the driver's seat
ABHISHEK BHATT | Issue Dated: January 1, 1970, New Delhi
Tags : Ross Taylor | Black Caps | Pragyan Ojha |
Tags : Ross Taylor | Black Caps | Pragyan Ojha |
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Ross Taylor counter-attacked and slammed a scintillating ton that helped the Black Caps to recover from a shaky start and reach 328 for 6 at stumps on the first day of the second and final cricket test against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Play was stopped due to bad light and eventually called off for the day about half an hour before the scheduled close.
Wicket-keeper batsman CFK Van Wyk was batting on 63 and DAJ Bracewell on 30, having added 82 runs within an hour for the unbroken 7th wicket partnership.
It has been a bold knock from the under pressure New Zealand captain who was all aggressive in his innings. Ross Taylor had earlier said that his team will fight back in the series and the captain backed himself leading from the front.
The Kiwi skipper got a rousing reception from his erstwhile home ground in the IPL, a sharp quick cut off the bowling of spinner Pragyan Ojha gets him a four behind backward point, and he smiles broadly as he takes in the applause.
Ross Taylor’s breathtaking ton (113) is his 7th ton overall and 3rd against India. The brilliant batting display from the skipper came at a crucial point when New Zealand lost its top three batsmen and it all looked like Indian spinners would run over the Kiwis, as it happened all through the first test at Hyderabad.
The captain strengthened the Kiwi innings after New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch that had a tinge of green and looked a typical Indian surface. There was some movement earlier on for the quicks in the first hour of play, more because of the overcast conditions.
Indian skipper M.S Dhoni surprised everybody by starting the proceedings with Pragyan Ojha , first time a spinner has opened the bowling for India in a test match.
But it was Zaheer Khan for the hosts, who drew the first blood by trapping Brendon McCullum (0) LBW in the second over of the innings with New Zealand no runs on the board.
Martin Guptill (53) and Kane Williamson (17) steadied the ship and put on a partnership of 63 runs for the second wicket. Both the batsmen were dismissed leg before wicket by Pragyan Ojha, who held his line and kept the pressure mounting from one end.
New Zealand were 108 for three at lunch and post lunch it was all Ross Taylor show.The aggressive Kiwi skipper heaved some brutal shots and converted boundaries (16x4, 2x6) at will before getting plumbed in front off Ojha. The captain was strongly supported by DR Flynn (33) and both put on a solid partnership of 107 runs in 18.5 overs.
Ashwin got the much awaited breakthrough for India as DR Flynn lost his wicket for the third consecutive time in the series trying a sweep shot and to the same bowler.
Franklin (8) didn’t trouble the scorer much and fell off hitting a full toss to mid-wicket, where Raina pulled off a spectacular catch.
CFK Van Wyk and DAJ Bracewell denied the Indians any further breakthrough.
New Zealand’s batsmen had in the course of a single day scored more runs than they had in both innings at Hyderabad.
Pragyan Ojha (4/90) was the pick of the bowlers, while Zaheer (1/74) and Ashwin (1/82) took a wicket each.
India are 1-0 up in the two match test series after winning the first test at Hyderabad comprehensively by an innings and 115 runs.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
