KANPUR: India set New Zealand 284 runs after a lower order fightback from the Kiwi demolition of the hosts’ top batters on the fourth day of the first Test in Kanpur on Sunday.
Debutant Shreyas Iyer made 65 in key partnerships with Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha, who was unbeaten on 61 runs when India declared at 234-7 after tea.
The hosts started the day in a commanding position with a 63-run lead at 14-1 — after Axar Patel’s five-for wrapped up the Black Caps innings at 296 on Saturday.
But New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee turned the tables with crucial wickets to leave India reeling at 51-5.
Iyer, who scored his maiden Test century in the first innings, helped pull India out of trouble after a 52-run partnership with Ashwin, who left the pitch after chopping a rising Jamieson delivery.
Jamieson triggered the Indian top order collapse with Cheteshwar Pujara’s wicket for 22 in the 12th over of the innings.
Captain Kane Williamson’s review confirmed that a rising Jamieson delivery had touched the batsman’s gloves to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell behind the stumps.
India then lost stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane at 41 after he fell leg-before to left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel.
Southee returned for an inspired bowling spell and took two wickets in his maiden over.
The veteran pacer first removed opener Mayank Agarwal for 17 after he edged to Tom Latham at second slip.
One ball later, Southee took all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja leg-before for a duck to leave India 51-5.
A stubborn lower order performance on an uneven Kanpur surface saved the hosts further embarrassment as they reached 167-7 at tea.
Iyer built a 64-run partnership with Saha before falling to Southee, who took three wickets in his 22 overs for 75 runs.
Saha then played a gritty innings with Axar Patel, unbeaten on 28, to stitch an unfinished 67-run partnership before the Indian declaration.
Jamieson took three wickets in his 17 overs for 40 runs.
Patel took another but the other two Kiwi spinners — Rachin Ravindra and William Somerville — went wicketless.
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Scoreboard
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India 2nd innings (overnight 14-1)
Mayank Agarwal c Latham b Southee 17
Shubman Gill b Jamieson 1
Cheteshwar Pujara c Blundell b Jamieson 22
Ajinkya Rahane lbw
Ajaz Patel 4
Shreyas Iyer c Blundell
b Southee 65
Ravindra Jadeja lbw b
Southee 0
Ravichandran Ashwin
b Jamieson 32
Wriddhiman Saha not out 61
Axar Patel not out 28
Extras: (b 3, lb 1) 4
Total: (seven wickets, 81 overs) 234 declared
Did not bat: Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Gill), 2-32 (Pujara), 3-41 (Rahane), 4-51 (Agarwal), 5-51 (Jadeja), 6-103 (Ashwin), 7-167 (Iyer)
Bowling: Tim Southee 22-2-75-3, Kyle Jamieson 17-6-40-3, Ajaz Patel 17-3-60-1, Rachin Ravindra 9-3-17-0, William Somerville 16-2-38-0
New Zealand 2nd innings
Tom Latham not out 2
Will Young lbw b Ashwin 2
William Somerville not out 0
Extras: 0
Total: (one wicket, four overs) 4
Yet to bat: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Young)
Bowling: Ravichandran Ashwin 2-0-3-1, Axar Patel 2-1-1-0
Toss: India
Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND), Virender Sharma (IND)
TV umpire: Anil Chaudhary (IND)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).—AFP
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