Ash-win moment for India
When play began here after a two-hour delay on the fourth day, the cornered Kiwis had one eye on the pitch and the other on the sky — looking for heavenly help as thundershowers were forecast by the weather department.
However, the rain gods distanced themselves from the visitors on a not-so sunny Sunday as India took just 61.5 overs to bundle New Zealand out and inflict an innings and 115 runs win that gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the hero again, taking 6/54 to follow up on his fantastic first innings show of 6/31 as he ended with magnificent match figures of 12/85. The off-spinner’s guiles were too much for the beleaguered batsmen who could only grope at his baffling deliveries in vain.
The Kiwis began stubbornly though. Overnight batsmen Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson dug deep to ward off the persistent Indian attack as they battled the entire first session without being separated. The two put their heads down and played sensibly as the Kiwis went to lunch at 92/1.
Back on, the game was just about 10 minutes old in the second session when a howler from umpire Steve Davis opened the floodgates. McCullum was declared leg before wicket off pacer Umesh Yadav even as the ball had brushed his bat on its way to the pads, as television replays confirmed.
The New Zealand opener made his frustrated known with a series of agitated expressions that later invited disciplinary proceedings by the match referee. His resilient 42 was composed in 174 minutes and 130 balls.
That was it, the breakthrough moment. Ross Taylor, who walked in with a tremendous burden on his shoulders, promptly buckled under it. He prodded around for a while before misreading an Ashwin floater that foxed the Kiwi captain who was surprised to see it rattle his stumps — he had thought it harmless and had let it go!
Meanwhile, Williamson reached his half-century after standing his ground for 194 minutes. He fended off 161 balls, despatching four of them to the boundary. His hopes of staying longer at the wicket soon vanished as Virender Sehwag stooped to scoop a low catch at second slip off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. At 138/4, the Kiwis were rattled.
Then, Daniel Flynn, first innings top scorer James Franklin and the last of the recognised batsmen, Doug Bracewell, fell in quick succession — within 10 runs and 10 overs — as India began to hammer the nails into the Kiwi coffin.
The visitors had themselves to blame for the situation, losing five wickets for just 54 runs between lunch and tea. Post tea, the hosts needed just 24 minutes to chop up the tail, Ashwin aptly landing the final blow by trapping Chris Martin.
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