Published: Sep 25, 2016, 07:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 25, 2016, 04:55 PM (IST)
Good morning, Namaste! Hello and Welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of Day 4 of the first of the three-Test series between hosts India and visitors New Zealand at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Sunday, as India are also playing their 500th Test match. I am Devarchit Varma, and I will be bringing to you all the live updates from this match for this day. India have had their noses in front following the end of third day’s play on Saturday, as India have a healthy 215-run lead, as they finished Day 3 on absolute top, thus giving the visitors no chance to stay ahead, while the hosts aim to maintain the same momentum on Day 4, and inch closer towards a win.
India had a tough day in the opening day, as they lost nine wickets, while they were bundled for 318 at the start of Day 2, with opener Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara being the top scorers, scoring 65, and 62, respectively, while Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets each. As for New Zealand, they had a strong start to their innings, as they lost just a wicket on Day 2. However, the Day 3 was a nightmare for the Kiwis, as they lost wickets in a flurry just after the lunch break, as they were shot out for 262, with opener Tom Latham and skipper Kane Williamson being the top scorers, scoring 58, and 75, respectively, while it was the Indian spinner in the form of Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 5 for 73, along with Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed 4 for 93, thus dismantling the New Zealand batting lineup, as India gained an 80-run lead.
Meanwhile, as India began their second innings, they were off to a steady start, while the lost just a wicket in the day in the form of opener KL Rahul, who fell for 38 to Ish Sodhi, while the batsmen in the form of fellow opener Murali Vijay, and Cheteshwar Pujara took charge again, as they executed themselves brilliantly, thus almost tearing apart the New Zealand bowling attack, and not allowing the bowlers to settle down, as they continued the same momentum in the similar fashion, as they possessed in the opening session. Both the batsmen put up an unbeaten 107-run stand by the end of the day’s play, while Vijay scored his 14th Test half-century, along with Pujara, who too scored his 10th Test half-century, to keep India on top, and turn the tides in the favour of the hosts in just a matter of day. IND vs NZ: Williamson’s dismissal was game-changer, says Jadeja
Teams:
India: Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, BJ Watling (wk), Mark Craig, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner.
FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs New Zealand, 1st Test at Kanpur
