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India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 1: Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane lone bright spots on New Zealand-dominated day

After being at a precarious position of 46 for 3, India ended Day One at 239 for 7 with local boy Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease.

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Ajinkya Rahane (left) and Cheteshwar Pujara added 141 for the fourth wicket © AFP

One has to feel for the visiting New Zealand side. Before the series started, they lost Tim Southee to an injury, James Neesham is unfit, Mark Craig got injured and ahead of the Kolkata Test, they lost their skipper and best player Kane Williamson to a bug that ruled him out. However, New Zealand, despite their limitations, have a reputation to show grit and to fight. That is what they did. After being at a precarious position of 46 for 3, India ended Day One at 239 for 7 with local boy Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s 141-run stand for the fourth wicket helped India salvage some pride on Day One.

The morning session belonged to New Zealand where they picked three wickets and same was the case in the final session where they claimed four. The Kiwi pacers Matt Henry and Trent Boult were exceptional and when conditions suited them, they made it count. There were some nervous moments in the final session after New Zealand took the new ball and unleashed the new ball on Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin. Boult tested Saha with short balls and his trademark delivery that comes back in after pitching on off-stump. While Saha survived the challenge, Jadeja survived a close call but Ashwin was not lucky as he was trapped leg before off Henry, who ended the day with three wickets. The ball probably would have gone on to miss the leg-stump.

Saha during his brief stint at the crease looked positive, opening his account with a six. This was his first Test innings at his home ground and he made a statement ending the day with 14 not out from 22 balls.

New Zealand did well to win two sessions in the day but will hope the same script like Kanpur would not follow here. The wicket does not look very conducive to spin bowling but again, when they bat fourth the story might be different.

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New Zealand fans were up for a shock when they saw Ross Taylor make his way at the toss. To make matters worse, it was Virat Kohli who won the toss and elected to bat. The Test began amidst celebrations. Kohli, who led India to a win in their 500th Test at Kanpur, now had the privilege of leading the side in its 250th Test at home. Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly was busy ensuring if all preparations were in place. The Test got underway after Kapil Dev rang the newly installed giant bell at Eden Gardens.

Shikhar Dhawan was picked ahead of Gautam Gambhir for this Test. It was Kohli, who ended the speculation at the toss when he mentioned Dhawan as KL Rahul’s “natural replacement”. All Dhawan lasted was 10 balls before dragging one back to the stumps. Matt Henry was rewarded for testing batsmen outside off-stump but the one that Dhawan dragged back attempting a cut was too close to off-stump.

Eden Gardens has a knack of assisting seamers in the morning and conditions lived true to its reputation. The pitch looked green, offered seam movement and there was variable bounce especially for the deliveries pitched outside off-stump. Henry used that to his advantage and got Murali Vijay to poke one to BJ Watling’s gloves.

Virat Kohli was set up by Trent Boult, who perhaps made the best use of seam movement. Indian batsmen survived a few close lbw shouts. In his second spell, he set up Kohli with one loose ball, two into the stumps and then got him with another free ball outside off-stump. Kohli played with an angled bat, straight to gully. This was Kohli’s seventh sub-fifty score in seven consecutive innings. Neil Wagner, who dismissed him to a pull shot in the first innings of Kanpur Test, once again tested him with short balls but Kohli showed enough restraint.

The greenish surface that was offering seam movement began to change once the sun came beating down. Batting became easier. Pujara and Rahane stitched an important stand to put India on top. While Pujara, who began aggressively, took a cautious approach, Rahane was more free flowing. New Zealand bowlers made India earn their runs.

Jeetan Patel would not have played this Test had Mark Craig been fit. Patel playing a Test after three and half years, had his moments. He almost had Pujara in the first session and Rahane in the second. However, he did chip in with the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Rahane.

Pujara suffered a lapse in concentration on 87 and missed the chance to get to the three figures. His last three innings look 87, 78 and 62. Every time, he looked set for a 100. Wagner had a short cover in place and got Pujara to play one uppish drive. Taylor was impressive with his field placements. We will have to wait and see if the same fate awaits for him with the bat.

The Day One saw 86 overs bowled. New Zealand were slow with the over-rate thanks to their three men-pace attack. It was an absorbing day’s play, which went the visitor’s way.

Brief Scores

India 239 for 7 (Cheteshwar Pujara 87, Ajinkya Rahane 77; Matt Henry 3 for 35, Jeetan Patel 2 for 66) vs New Zealand.

Full Scorecard

Photos: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Kolkata

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

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