India’s number three batsman Chesteshwar Pujara did all the hard work during his stay of 81 balls in the second dig of the ongoing first Test match against New Zealand. But all of that went in vain as a poor judgment of a leave led to his dismissal. It was the last ball before the Tea break when Trent Boult decided to come from around the wicket.
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Boult angled the ball into the right-hander and Pujara decided not to play at the ball and thus exposed his stumps. As Boult planned, the ball came back in and shattered into the stumps. It was an imperative wicket for the Kiwis at the stroke of tea.
India is behind the eighth-ball.
Meanwhile, New Zealand posted 348 runs in the first innings as the tail was able to wag around. The debutant Kyle Jamieson continued to have a good Test match as he scored 44 runs from 45 balls with the help of one four and four sixes.
Furthermore, Trent Boult raced to 24-ball 38 with the help of five fours and one six to give a lead of 183 runs to his team. On the other side, Ishant Sharma was the pick of the Indian bowlers as the lanky fast bowler scalped five wickets.
The onus is on Rahane and Kohli, India’s two best batsmen.
India once again got off to a bad start as Prithvi Shaw was dismissed early for 14 runs. Subsequently, Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara added 51 runs for the second wicket. Agarwal showed the temperament and scored a fine knock of 58 runs. But the Indian opener didn’t have the rub of the green on his side as he was dismissed to an innocuous delivery down the leg-side.
Tim Southee came up with a ploy of testing Agarwal with short pitch deliveries while coming to bowl from round the wicket. However, it was a half volley down the leg-side that got the better off the Indian opener.
Here is Pujara’s wicket:
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