1st Test: Rohit and Jaiswal keep India steady after New Zealand take 356-run lead

Bengaluru, Oct 18 (IANS) Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal kept India steady to reach 57/0 in 15 overs at tea after New Zealand took a 356-run first-innings lead on day three of first Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.

Jaiswal (29 not out) and Rohit (27 not out) have ensured India got a decent start to its second innings after being 46 all out in first innings. But with clouds looming around and inconsistent bounce on offer, they need to keep going in the final session and get themselves back in the match.

Compared to being tentative in the first innings, Rohit cut a more assured figure in flicking Matt Henry for two leg-side boundaries. After he and Jaiswal took a boundary off edges, Rohit welcomed Ajaz Patel with a four, followed by Jaiswal piercing the gaps with his cuts and drives to get four boundaries before tea break arrived.

Earlier, an excellent 134 from Rachin Ravindra – his second Test century – helped New Zealand take a lead of 356 runs after their first innings ended at 402 in 91.3 overs. For India, spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were pick of the bowlers by taking three wickets each.

Ravindra dazzled to hit 13 fours and four sixes in his 157-ball knock yielding his second international hundred in Bengaluru, the city of his family’s origin. He also added a crucial 137 runs for the eighth wicket with Tim Southee, who hit 65 off 73 balls. It’s now the joint-highest eighth wicket partnership for New Zealand in Tests against India.

The second session began with Southee getting his fifty with a single off Bumrah, and followed by him heaving Siraj for consecutive boundaries. After dispatching Siraj over mid-wicket for six, Southee went for another maximum, but was deceived by change of pace and gave a simple catch to cover, ending his 137-run stand with Ravindra for the eighth wicket.

Ravindra managed to overturn his dismissal off Siraj as UltraEdge showed spike on ball passing the bat, and followed it up with a cracking slog-sweep off Kuldeep, who trapped Ajaz Patel lbw. Ravindra smacked Siraj for back-to-back boundaries, before dancing down the pitch to smack Kuldeep for six.

But Kuldeep had the last laugh immediately as Ravindra got a top-edge on a wide flighted delivery and was caught by substitute keeper Dhruv Jurel to be out for 134 and go to the off to a rousing reception from the Bengaluru crowd and New Zealand dressing room.

Brief Scores: India 46 and 57/0 in 15 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 29 not out, Rohit Sharma 27 not out) trail New Zealand 402 in 91.3 overs (Rachin Ravindra 134, Devon Conway 91; Ravindra Jadeja 3-72, Kuldeep Yadav 3-99) by 299 runs

–IANS

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