53

Shami to Wagner, out Lbw!! Shami is all smiles. Che's wife and Jinks' wife applaud from the
dressing room. But that has pitched an inch outside leg. Wagner is unlucky. Stayed low and
rushed past his attempted defence, rapped him right in front. Would've crashed into the stumps.
Very difficult for Tucker as well, he has one look at it and has to make a spot decision. Raised his
finger. Must have some sympathy for him as well. So after being tonked for a big six, Shami
comes back well to get Wagner out. Wagner lbw b Shami 10(18) [6s-1]
52.3
Shami to Wagner, SIX, pulled high and over deep square. All the way. Short ball around chest
height, Wagner went back and didn't hold back on the shot. Nailed it and comfortably cleared the
men on the boundary who were there for the top edge
51.4
Ashwin to Boult, SIX, woof! Where did that come from? Down the track in a flash and then
smote over long-on. Clean hit and went all the way. Right off the middle of the bat. That must
have surprised Ashwin
50.2
Shami to Watling, out Lbw!! When it is reversin', won't see many better exponents of it than
Shami. He gets Watling and celebrates arms stretched out running backwards. Full and at pace,
thudded into Watling's pads, before the bat came down. In-line with leg stump and would've
crashed into that same stick. Tucker didn't take long to raise the finger. Watling battled on, but
was beaten for pace that time. Very good stuff from Shami. Watling lbw b Shami 25(67) [4s-3]
47.1
Ashwin to Jeetan Patel, out Caught by Shami!! Poor, poor way to get out. After playing so well,
a sudden mad rush of blood has consumed him. This time they don't check for the no-ball. It was
bowled slower and tossed up higher, perhaps Jeetan Patel thought he could get to his fifty in one
blow. A maiden Test fifty was there for the taking. This pitched outside off and went away just a
bit, the drift taking it away and Patel skied the lofted hit. Went straight up and caught at mid-off.
Easy catch and India breathe a sigh of relief. Ashwin strikes first ball. Still a very handy
contribution from Patel. Jeetan Patel c Shami b Ashwin 47(47) [4s-9]
45.5
Jadeja to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, third boundary of the over. Jeetan Patel is toying with the bowler.
It was again generously tossed up and on the middle and leg line, Jeetan Patel got forward and
flicked that across the line. Neatly hit and wide of Ashwin at mid-wicket. There was a cry from
one of the Indians for Ashwin to stop it. Ashwin after the ball passed him, had a look at at who

was asking him to stop that. It has run away to the fence. Jadeja looks a bit ruffled by this
counter-attack from Patel
45.2
Jadeja to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, even better shot. Kumble with the dark glasses on, looks grim. It
was tossed up on middle and wristily whipped wide of mid-on. Jeetan Patel got forward and then
got his wrists into play. No chance for the fielder at mid-on. Patel has already got his highest Test
score and he continues to impress
45.1
Jadeja to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, the 50-run stand has come up. That is a cracking shot off the back
foot. A trifle short outside off, Jeetan Patel went back and hammered that through cover. There
was point as well but such was the placement from the Kiwi offie
44.1
Bhuvneshwar to Watling, FOUR, lovely back foot punch. Watling is very strong on the back
foot. This was just a good length delivery outside off, Watling didn't press forward fully, but
timed the shot through cover and it raced away
40
Jadeja to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, bad ball and put away. Drifting down leg, full as well, Jeetan Patel
needed to get bat and beat backward square leg. Does so with a subtle uncorking of the wrists. A
cute paddle and he gets his second boundary of the over
39.1
Jadeja to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, just a soft drive and it has gone for four. Jadeja tossed that up
outside off, Jeetan Patel leant on the stroke and once it passed cover, it raced away. Long-off was
running to his left to cut that off, but he had no chance
37.2
Shami to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, no third slip and it has gone right where one would've been. Why
don't you have an extra man when the opposition is struggling. Lifter outside off, Jeetan Patel
fended at that and the edge carried comfortably wide of Kohli at 2nd slip. Shami's effort goes
unrewarded
36.4
Bhuvneshwar to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, another good-looking drive from Jeetan Patel. He seems to
have improved his batting considerably. Helps when you play so much county cricket. Definite

signs that he has become a better player. Gets forward and drives a fuller length delivery
smoothly wide of cover
35.5
Shami to Jeetan Patel, 2 runs, so risky to take on RJ! And Watling just about gets in with that
dive. A desperate full-length dive has saved him. It looked an easy two, but the left-arm spinner
is so quick across the turf. He sprints after that and then slides, gets up and throws - all in one
motion. Watling knows he is in trouble and scampers home, making sure he put in the dive. Just
in. Third umpire makes the call
34.1
Bhuvneshwar to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, what a start to the day. Very full outside off, Jeetan Patel
didn't hold back and went for the lofted drive. It was in the air but wide of mid-off. No chance of
catching that. Jeetan Patel held the pose after playing the stroke too. Fine beginning for the
visitors
32.4
Bhuvneshwar to Jeetan Patel, FOUR, driven through the covers! Good shot this. Nothing like an
archetypical tailender. Looked quite elegant as he knelt on the front foot
32.2
Bhuvneshwar to Matt Henry, out Bowled!! What a return for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. A five-for.
New Zealand's whole series is crumbling right in front of their eyes here. Again, the tailender not
quite good enough to defy Kumar's relentlessness. Skids on from a good length, Henry's feet go
nowhere and he's late on the ball. Just about clips the off-stump. On a hat-trick now. Matt Henry
b Bhuvneshwar 0(1)
32.1
Bhuvneshwar to Santner, out Lbw!! Another for Bhuvi and things looking very grim for the
visitors. Santner is just beaten for the skid on the ball. Jabs in from round the wicket, he's playing
back to a good length ball and then can't get his bat down in time. Flush on the back pad. The
only question here is impact, but even that seems to be in line with off. Santner lbw b
Bhuvneshwar 11(20) [4s-2]
30.4
Bhuvneshwar to Watling, FOUR, oh that's slapped off the back foot. Too short, too wide and
Watling thrashes it away
28.4

Bhuvneshwar to Watling, FOUR, off the mark in fine fashion. It's uppish but he's hit the gap
behind point. A hint of width on offer, Watling eases back and across and doesn't hold back on
the cut
28.1
Bhuvneshwar to Ross Taylor, out Caught by Vijay!! India have got the wicket they wanted and
the move to bring Bhuvneshwar back pays dividends straightaway. A good length ball just
outside off, somehow Taylor is drawn into it, pokes tentatively while taking the bottom hand off.
That bit of precautionary measure didn't yield much benefit. Easily carries to first slip where
Vijay laps it up. NZ in the doldrums. Ross Taylor c Vijay b Bhuvneshwar 36(80) [4s-5]
27.2
Shami to Ross Taylor, FOUR, NZ hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Another streaky
boundary. Cuts in from a back of a length to cause Taylor to get his bat across at an angle as he
tries to jab it away. Sends it off a thick inside edge: over leg stump and racing into the fine leg
fence
27.1
Shami to Ross Taylor, byes, FOUR, pounds in and hammers it on a back of a length. The pitch
responds. It takes off and bites over Taylor's attempted slash. Beats the keeper too
26.5
Jadeja to Santner, FOUR, nearly. So nearly. It's been pushed quicker through the air and then rips
back in. The flatter trajectory makes Santner play back to it. But then there's low bounce too.
Squirts it off the toe-edge and nutmegs the keeper. Jadeja creating problems
26
Shami to Santner, FOUR, and he jumps all over that one. Good batting. The length is the key
here. It's right in Santner's half and there's little scope of error on the drive. Nails it through the
covers
24.4
Jadeja to Ronchi, out Lbw!! I must say that Rod Tucker's umpiring so far in the series has been
poor, especially when the impact has been around middle and leg. Ronchi survived a very close
shout off Jadeja earlier, but he'll have to consider himself unlucky here. That's easily missing leg
stump I would say. Anyway, India won't mind. This could have been given out if the ball had
spun. This was the arm-ball from Jadeja and he's bowling round the wicket. Didn't spin much,
and the angle was taking it down the leg-side, foxed Ronchi on the defence. He was caught on
the crease and was unsure about his foot movement. Tried to adjust and block but it hit the pad in
line with leg stump. Clearly the ball had a bit of distance to go and would have missed the sticks.

In fact, the bat came down very late and it appears that he was beaten for pace as well. Jadeja
deserved this wicket though, for he really trouble Ronchi. Credit must be given to the bowler for
doing so because this is not a dustbowl and he did it purely by varying the pace. Ronchi lbw b
Jadeja 35(52) [4s-5 6s-1]
24.2
Jadeja to Ronchi, FOUR, nice hit! Floated up and outside off stump, as soon as he saw the width
there, Ronchi went hard at the drive and took Ashwin out of the equation at sweeper cover
21.1
Ashwin to Ronchi, FOUR, there is deep point but the placement was very good from Ronchi.
Short and outside off stump, looked like the straighter one, didn't turn, cut well for four through
cover-point
18.3
Jadeja to Ross Taylor, FOUR, nicely played by Taylor, risky but effective, pushed through flatter
and on off, Taylor backs away, makes room, cuts late and beats backward point to his left
18
Ashwin to Ronchi, FOUR, edged and four, Ashwin will not complain though, lovely drift on
off, dipped into the batsman as Ronchi lunged forward, found the edge and rolled away past
Rahane at first slip
16
Ashwin to Ross Taylor, FOUR, this is even better! Tossed up invitingly outside off, Taylor gets a
big stride forward, gets close to the pitch and eases it through cover
15.5
Ashwin to Ross Taylor, FOUR, counter-punch from Taylor and it's deftly done! He was in all
sorts of trouble against Ashwin in Kanpur, has learnt a way to counter him? This was tossed up
wider outside off, Taylor bent down low, gets on top of the bounce and sweeps it behind square
on the on-side
15.2
Ashwin to Ronchi, FOUR, nicely played by Ronchi, hint of width from Ashwin, Ronchi makes
room, uses Ashwin's pace and drives it square behind point, beats the fielder and rolls away to
the fence
13.3

Shami to Ronchi, no run, a stinger and Gambhir has dropped it, on replays, he never looked like
taking, was way too late to push his left-hand across, the ball hit his palms and popped out. This
was dropped short and wide outside off, Ronchi got on top of the bounce and cracked it square
behind point. Gambhir was close-in, at short point, it was always a difficult chance, would have
been a stunner had he held on
11.2
Shami to Ronchi, FOUR, beautifully played, this was a rank long half-volley from Shami,
Ronchi leans forward, presents the full face of the bat and punches it back past the bowler, no
need to run for those
10
Shami to Ronchi, SIX, lovely shot, Ronchi continues to impress on this Indian tour, this was
short and on the stumps, no venom on it. He is quick to swivel across, doesn't bother to keep it
down and sends it sailing into the stands at deep square leg
9.3
Shami to Ross Taylor, FOUR, that's an excellent riposte from Taylor, banged in short and just
outside off, doesn't bounce as much as Shami expected. Taylor is quick to rock ball, rolls his
wrists and pulls it in front of square on the off-side, gets his first boundary
6.4
Bhuvneshwar to Henry Nicholls, out Bowled!! Chopped on! Bhuvneshwar has got another
batsman playing on, he pitched this one further up and gets it to shape across the left-hander,
Nicholls was struck in his crease as he played with an angled bat, the feet went nowhere, gets a
thick inside edge and the off-stump is pegged back. The seamers are getting the job done for
India, New Zealand slip into big trouble. Henry Nicholls b Bhuvneshwar 1(11)
2.4
Bhuvneshwar to Guptill, out Bowled!! Gone now. Must say a tad unfortunate. But you can argue
that he should have taken the elbow out of the way. Didn't do so and is bowled off the ricochet.
On a back of a length and outside off, Guptill shouldered arms, must have assumed he was safe
but the ball hit the underside of the elbow and fell on the leg stump. Guptill is hurt by that blow
and it will take some time for him to get off the field. Just when I was eulogising about his talent,
he goes. One more innings to save his Test career? Bhuvneshwar and India meanwhile don't care.
They are busy celebrating. Guptill b Bhuvneshwar 13(13) [4s-3]
2.2
Bhuvneshwar to Guptill, FOUR, that's why he is so special. And that's why he is so frustrating to
watch as well. When he gets out that is. Won't see a better cover drive all day today. It was a

lovely full outswinger outside off, a front foot press and then the bat flowed smoothly through
the line. The ball pinged away from the centre of the blade and ran into the cover region.
Rocketed away. That should inject a lot of confidence
2
Shami to Henry Nicholls, leg byes, FOUR, sliding into the pads, Henry Nicholls missed the flick
and it ran away off the thigh pad, beating the diving Saha. Shami lost control of that delivery
1.5
Shami to Latham, out Lbw!! Shami strikes and he is all smiles. Failure for Latham. It was angled
in from round the wicket, Latham was late in getting forward, didn't even unfurl the front foot
press, the bat came down at an angle and he got stuck. The bat hit the front pad but by then the
ball had already thudded into the pad. Loud appeal from India and umpire Richard
Kettleborough had a look and raised his finger. Clearly out and New Zealand didn't want that
start. Jinks Rahane is elated and so are the other Indians. Shami has settled into a nice rhythm
and is at ease when bowling from over or round the wicket. Latham walks off head down.
Latham lbw b Shami 1(2)
0.5
Bhuvneshwar to Guptill, FOUR, beautiful flick. Too straight from Bhuvneshwar and Guptill
doesn't fall over. His head is still and he times the clip off his pads. Wide of mid-on and that will
be consecutive boundaries. Played that well
0.4
Bhuvneshwar to Guptill, FOUR, late swing. And a streaky edge runs away past gully. Full on off
stump, he was a bit late in getting forward, but defends with soft hands. The edge goes to ground
quickly and runs away to the unmanned third man fence