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| Cheteshwar Pujara in full flow! |
Team India was in absolute command when rains played
a spoilsport putting an end to the third day’s play today in the first cricket
Test match between India and
New Zealand in Hyderabad. Starting from
a disastrous overnight score of 106 for 5 New
Zealand lost its bottom half for the addition of only 53
runs and got all out for 159 giving India a lead of 279 runs. Indian
skipper Dhoni enforced the follow-on and New Zealand struggled to 41/1 when
rains stopped play.
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| Ashwin in action! |
Despite a cloudy
and heavy weather it was not the seamers, namely Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav,
but the Indian spinners, Ashwin and Ojha, who dominated the proceedings and
proved New Zealand’s
dubious reputation in tackling spin bowling yet again. Ashwin and Ojha shared
nine out of the ten wickets to fall between them with Ashwin capturing 6 and
Ojha 3. Umesh Yadav got the other wicket.
It was Ashwin’s third haul of five or more wickets in an innings in his
7 tests. The likes of McCullum or Guptil or Taylor could not do much and there
was not even a single fifty scored in the entire innings. Franklin scored the highest 43 runs remaining
not out. The first Test looks as good as over now unless the rain gods decide
to bail out the languishing touring team that unfortunately had to appear for the
test without having a single warm-up match. The timing of this short India-New
Zealand Test Series looks odd too considering the fact that the South West
Monsoon remains active in India
till September.
Playing a Test
without Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman for the first time in years Team India made a
sound beginning with its young guns firing. On the first day, the 23rd
of August, 2012 Cheteshwar Pujara, playing only his 4th Test, laid
solid anchors with patience and determination, and achieved his maiden century
remaining unbeaten at stumps. The sensational Virat Kohli contributed well with
a half century. Skipper Dhoni gave Pujara sound company and guided India to 307/5
at the end of the first day’s play. On the second day too the duo kept on and
after a partnership of 127 run Pujara
fell for a brilliant 159 with the team’s score at 387. Dhoni was the next out
at 411 with his individual score of 73 runs. But for a gutsy 37 by Ashwin the
Indian tail could have folded up much more cheaply. The final score of 438
looked challenging on a spinning and uneven track. For New Zealand
spinner JS Patel took four wickets and pacer Boult captured three. The Scorecard:
With two days to
go only an extraordinary batting display or big favors from the rain gods could
save New Zealand
from a humiliating defeat. For India
a big win would be a blessing after the memory of eight straight away Test
losses.
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