Twin 0/0 declarations in NZ firstclass cricket

MUMBAI: New Zealand’s firstclass competition, the Plunket Shield, witnessed a thrilling penultimate-over finish to a rain-hit match between Central Districts and Canterbury in Nelson on Saturday. However, the match would be most remembered for a rare double 0 for 0 declaration from both sides. Central Districts scored 352/7 in the first innings and won the match by 145-runs.

The 18,555 fans who turned up on Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here, mainly to watch their hero Virat Kohli bat, got to see a different show, one that featured two cocky Indian youngsters.

The 18-year-old Prithvi Shaw (70 — 53 balls, 11x4, 1x6) and 21-year-old Rishabh Pant (85 batting — 120 balls, 10x4, 2x6) helped India get their act together at different stages of the innings.

In reply to West Indies’ firstinnings total of 311, India took flight on the wings of Shaw, then had a few jittery moments getting reduced to 102/3, losing skipper Kohli before tea to be reduced to 162/4, and then finally coasting on an unbeaten 146-run stand f or the fifth wicket between Ajinkya Rahane (75 batting — 174 balls, 6x4) and Pant to end Day 2 on 308/4. Some poor fielding and two crucial dropped catches by the visitors lent a helping hand to the hosts.

CAREER-BEST SHOW FROM UMESH

India had wrapped up the visitors’ innings within half an hour on Saturday with West Indies managing to add just 16 runs to their overnight total. Roston Chase (106 — 189 balls, 8x4, 1x6) brought up his fourth Test hundred in the first ball of the second over of the day bowled by Kuldeep Yadav.

All three wickets went to Umesh Yadav, who returned career best figures and best by a pacer on this ground with 6/88. His previous best was 5/93 against Australia in Perth in January 2012. This was his second five-wicket haul in Tests.

Shaw got the Indian innings off to a flier. He was off the mark in the first over by Shannon