Finance
India has been set a goal of 359 runs to win the second Test after bowling out New Zealand for 255 in 69.4 overs in their second innings during the first hour of day three play at the MCA Stadium on Saturday.
New Zealand resumed with a 301-run advantage, adding 57 runs before their innings was cut short. Ravindra Jadeja, who had not taken a wicket in two days, claimed three wickets in rapid succession before Ravichandran Ashwin took another scalp and a run-out ensured India finished New Zealand’s innings successfully.
The main difficulty for India will now be to chase down 359, as the only instance of them chasing down a higher goal to win a Test at home was 387 against England at Chennai in 2008.
Glenn Phillips hit three boundaries off Ashwin in the morning session on Day three, before Jadeja claimed his first scalp of the match with a straight ball that sneaked past Tom Blundell’s gate and castled him for 41.
Jadeja then had Mitchell Santner holing out to long-on, while Ashwin had Tim Southee edge to slip. Shortly after, Ajaz Patel holed out in the deep for Jadeja’s third wicket, and despite two sixes from Phillips, William O’Rourke became complacent while completing the second run, and Jadeja quickly dislodged the bails to catch him short of the crease at the bowler’s end, bringing New Zealand’s innings to an end.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 259 and 255 in 69.4 overs (Tom Latham 86, Glenn Phillips 48 not out; Washington Sundar 4-56, Ravindra Jadeja 3-72) lead India 156 in 45.3 overs by 358 runs.
Source:IANS
