PUNE: Half-centuries by Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway helped New Zealand to 201-5 against a spin-charged India at tea on day one of the second Test on Thursday.
Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets after New Zealand elected to bat first on a pitch that is expected to keep the spinners in business in Pune.
Daryl Mitchell was batting on 16 after Washington Sundar struck for the second time to get Tom Blundell bowled for three at the stroke of tea.
Sundar’s first wicket came when he bowled Ravindra for 65 to break a 59-run fourth-wicket stand with Mitchell.
Conway, who hit 76, reached his 11th Test fifty with a boundary soon after lunch and put on 62 runs with fellow left-hander Ravindra to thwart the Indian attack.
But Ashwin, after his two wickets in the morning, broke through to get Conway caught behind on a delivery that turned from a good length outside the off-stump.
The wicket took Ashwin past Australian spinner Nathan Lyon’s tally of 530 wickets to place him seventh in the list of leading Test bowlers.
Skipper Tom Latham and Conway started cautiously, but soon got going with a few boundaries to blunt the opening pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep.
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Spin was introduced in the eighth over and Ashwin struck on his fifth ball to trap Latham lbw for 15 and leave New Zealand 32-1. Conway then put on 44 runs with Will Young and the two looked comfortable – before Ashwin struck again to get Young caught behind for 18.
The Black Caps won the opener for their first Test victory in India since 1988 and are looking to clinch the three-match series.
The eight-wicket win in Bengaluru was New Zealand’s third Test victory in India, but they have never won a series in the country.
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