India vs New Zealand 2nd Test, Day Highlights.India vs New Zealand (IND vs NZ) 2nd Test, Day 1 Highlights: India reached 221/4 at the end of a curtailed opening day’s play of the second Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
At stumps, Mayank Agarwal and Wriddhiman Saha were batting on 120 and 25 respectively. Earlier, after the entire first session was wiped off owing to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain, India opted to bat first when the returning Virat Kohli won the toss at the Wankhede Stadium. Openers Agarwal and Shubman Gill (44) put on 80 runs for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed by Ajaz Patel. The out-of-form Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Kohli were sent back in quick succession by the Mumbai-born left-arm spinner, who finished the day with impressive figures of 4/73. Both Pujara and Kohli failed to open their accounts, though the decision regarding the captain’s dismissal seemed debatable.
India (Playing XI): Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham(c), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell(w), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville, Ajaz Patel
The pitch has mostly remained under sheets followed by two layers of covers. (Screengrab/Express)
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham wanted to continue with the pacers but the light is not good enough for that and the umpires called it stumps on Day 1. What an intriguing day of Test cricket it has been between the two teams. Mayank Agarwal (1208) and Wriddhiman Saha (258) are involved in an unbeaten 61-run partnership for the fifth wicket. For New Zealand, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel (4/73) bagged four wickets. IND: 221/4 (70 overs)
A much-needed 50-run partnership comes up between Mayank Agarwal (110*) and Wriddhiman Saha (24*) for the fifth wicket. IND: 210/4 (67 overs)
Mayank hits his fourth Test century! 196 deliveries, 13 fours and two sixes! A deserved ton for the opener who held his ground throughout the opening day, keeping the hosts stable in the first innings. Saha's on 16*. IND: 192/4 (58.1 overs)
Mayank hits his fourth Test century! 196 deliveries, 13 fours and two sixes! IND: 192/4 (58.1 overs)
Saha (7*) gets off the mark with a maximum! He punishes Ajaz with a clean six over his head. IND: 173/4 (54 overs)
India will need Mayank (86*) and Saha (0*) to rally on in the final session of the opening day of the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium. Just a single off Jamieson's over. The visitors have some momentum. IND: 161/4 (51 overs)
Ajaz gets his fourth wicket! Shreyas is gone for 18. The spinner ends an 80-run fifth-wicket stand. Shreyas plays for the turn, gets a thick inside edge that tickles off the pad and it's a simple catch for Blundell. IND: 160/4 (47.4 overs)
The floodgates have opened at Wankhede! After hitting Ajaz for two fours in the previous over, Mayank (76*) takes on Somerville to unnerve him. He clears the ropes over long-off for a six and gets four byes later. IND: 144/3 (45 overs)
Ajaz restarts the proceedings with a wicket-maiden before Shreyas (11*) turned up the heat with a crunching half-volley of a boundary against Southee. Later, Mayank (53*) takes a single off the spin bowling of Ajaz. IND: 116/3 (40 overs)
Mayank (52*) continues to march on as he takes on Ravindra before the end of the second session! He dabs a delivery past the first slip fielder for a boundary to bring up his fifth Test fifty in 119 balls! Shreyas is on 7*. IND: 111/3 (37 overs)
Mayank (42*) ups the ante! He takes on the spinner-in-form and smacks a six over extra cover and then pulls another over mid-wicket for a four. Later, Shreyas (7*) hits a four to bring up the century for his team. IND: 101/3 (33 overs)
Ajaz picks up his second wicket as he cleans up Pujara! A five-ball duck for the veteran batter and on comes skipper Kohli. After three dot balls, the spinner traps Kohli between the wickets to give New Zealand a huge boost in the first innings! The review decides that the ball hit the pad first and off he goes on a four-ball duck. IND: 80/3 (30 overs)
There's the breakthrough! Right after a missed stumping, Ajaz scalps the wicket of Gill and sends him back on 44. Gill pushes at the delivery, gets an outside edge and it travels to Taylor at first slip. Next up? Pujara. IND: 80/1 (28 overs)
Somerville and Ajaz continue searching for a wicket, but the settled pair of Gill (35*) and Mayank (32*) are holding their own well. Dealing only in singles, the batters aim to cross the 100-run mark without any rush. IND: 71/0 (25 overs)
Despite employing a full spin attack, the Kiwis are finding it tough to find that early breakthrough. Gill (28*) takes a single against Somerville to bring up the fifty-run stand. Mayank (28*) adds yet another boundary. IND: 56/0 (19 overs)
Gill (24*) tries to up the ante as he hits Jamieson with an outside-edged boundary. In the next over, Mayank (21*) carefully plays against Ajaz in the opening few balls before hitting the first six of the innings! Over long-off! IND: 45/0 (14 overs)
Working in tandem, Southee and Ajaz have put Mayank (15*) and Gill (14*) under some pressure. IND: 29/0 (10 overs)
After opening his account with a four against Southee, Mayank (12*) races off to his second four of the innings against Jamieson! He takes on the pacer and guides one through the gap away to third man for a boundary. IND: 25/0 (6 overs)
Gill (12*) is off to a superb start! He flicks Jamieson through mid-wicket off his first ball, and then plays a cover drive to follow it up. He then ends the over with another four. On the other hand, Mayank is still on 0*. IND: 12/0 (2 overs)