Jeetan Patel
The game would have been completely different had Ajinkya Rahane caved in to the barrage of short balls being directed at him by the Kiwi pacers in the morning. Rahane found a way to counter the ploy and wore down the bowlers. He had a few close calls, but managed to hold his nerve. After coming through the phase, he combined with Kohli and shifted a gear. As New Zealand pacer Trent Boult ran in from the press box end, facing him was Ajinkya Rahane, batting unbeaten on 188. Rahane halted play just as Boult was midway through. The problem was a distraction over the sight-screen. It was, in fact, an overzealous reporter who chose to walk across the press box that very moment. Wearing a bright orange shirt, the reporter distracted Rahane, who immediately asked for play to stop. As fate would have it, Rahane edged one to the keeper on the very next ball.
KUSHAL PHATARPEKAR Doing duty in Warwickshire in the English county, the seasoned leg spinner of Indian origin, was flown in barely 48 hours before the second Test in Kolkata after off-spinner Mark
Craig got injured. Though the Kiwis have struggled, the 36-year-old has bowled with a lot of guile. He will take heart from removing opener Murali Vijay on Day 1 and then ending India skipper Virat Kohli’s marathon effort. Post lunch, both Kohli and Rahane leaned into the Kiwi attack; they targetted the gaps, but were never rash.
They scored almost one boundary an over, keeping the runrate up. They attacked the spinners and pacers in equal measure. It was clear then that they would want to put the visitors in to bat before stumps. INDIA V NEW ZEALAND 9:30am, 3rd Test, day 3, live on Star Sports 1, 3, HD1 & HD3.
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12:00am (Tue), Gibraltar v Belgium, live on Sony ESPN HD. Put in to bat for just nine overs, Kiwis had a mission to not lose wickets. India started with pace and ended with spin. Luckily, they came out unscathed. Martin Guptill got two boundaries and a six. With cracks beginning to show, they will have to be on their toes come Day Three.