Black Caps fall under spin spell
REUTERS THERE is a reason there was so much talk about the Indian spinners in the lead-up to this test series against the Black Caps.
The hosts snatched back control on the third morning of the first match in Kanpur yesterday when the two men at the centre of all those questions and conversations, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin, tore through the Kiwi batting line-up in destructive fashion.
New Zealand had been impressive in winning four of the match’s first five sessions to start the day with their noses in front at 152-1, 167 runs from what would have been a first innings lead against all predictions after they lost the toss. Would have been. By the time Jadeja (5-73) and Ashwin (4-93) were done on day three, the Black Caps had lost 9-103 in 44 overs to be all out for 262, handing India a lead of 62 and placing them firmly back in the box seat with the last opportunity to bowl on a deteriorating pitch ahead of them.
That ascendancy was pressed home further when the home side came back out to bat, openers Lokesh Rahul (38) and Murali Vijay (14) caressing the score to 52 in 18.1 overs before Rahul guided leg-spinner Ish Sodhi to Ross Taylor at slip to send the players to the tea break
India had a 108-run lead and the Green Park Stadium crowd had returned to full voice.
The overall wash-up of the first half of another hot and humid day were not the only eye-popping numbers.
New Zealand lost 4-83 in the morning session, 5-24 in 20-5 overs after lunch, all five of those wickets coming for just sevens runs in 29 balls.
In the penultimate over, Jadeja bowled a triple-wicket maiden, getting rid of Mark Craig and Sodhi lbw and removing Trent Boult in somewhat fortunate circumstances when he blocked the ball into his toe and Rohit Sharma dove forward to take a brilliant catch at silly mid-off.
BJ Watling was the final wicket to fall in the next over, caught and bowled for 21 trying to take the attack to Ashwin.
All that mayhem came after a first session where there was immediately more turn on offer for the star spin duo and it was clear the Black Caps would have to bat very well to reach the first innings target much more damage.