Ind vs NZ: Ojha strikes to dent New Zealand on Day 3 in first Test
Ojha played on the patience of the batsman and dropped a flighted delivery outside off. Bracewell shimmied down the track for a big shot but it spun away to beat the bat. Dhoni collected the ball and broke the stumps in a jiffy.
Umesh Yadav trapped Kruger van Wyk plumb in front of the wicket in the second over of the day.
van Wyk tried to pull, went through the shot too early as the ball dipped and hit his pads.
Start of play on the third day was delayed by an hour due to rain.
On Day 2, India’s first innings ended on 438 with Cheteshwar Pujara contributing 159 and adding 127 runs for the sixth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who chipped in with a useful 73.
In New Zealand innings, Dhoni’s move to bring in the tweakers early on paid off as the Kiwis had no answer to the Indian spinners, who exploited the turn and bounce that the wicket offered, and were reduced to 106/5 by close of play.
After seven overs, Dhoni threw the ball to local lad Pragyan Ojha and the left-arm spinner didn’t disappoint his skipper or the sparse crowd. It took him only three balls to break the opening stand as he flighted a delivery which Brendon McCullum (22; 27balls, 3×4) tried to loft over the covers but hit it straight into Virat Kohli’s hands.
Two overs later, Dhoni turned to R Ashwin and the off-spinner got rid of Martin Guptill (2) by having him caught at backward short leg by Kohli. Skipper Ross Taylor (2) failed to last long as he was brilliantly snapped up by Kohli at the same position.
At 55/4, James Franklin (31 no; 75b, 1×4,1×6) joined Kane Williamson (32; 92b, 3×4) and the duo held on grimly for 68 minutes before the latter edged an Ojha delivery into Virender Sehwag’s hands at slip to put the Kiwis on the back foot again.
They had added 44 for the fifth-wicket but more importantly ensured that the visitors were not bowled out by the end of the day’s play. But they are still 332 runs behind and need another 133 to avoid the follow-on.
