India vs NZ: Top plays from day three of second Test

Sport360 staff 17:26 02/10/2016
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  • Kohli will be pleased with the contribution of his fast bowlers.

    JADEJA’S NO-BALL PROBLEMS

    Ravindra Jadeja’s problems with front-foot no-balls almost cost India dearly on the morning of day three.

    Jeetan Patel was playing an innings which threatened to get New Zealand’s score close to the hosts, and after smashing Jadeja for three boundaries, Patel was trapped in front of the stumps in the same over and the umpire raised his finger.

    The on-field umpire, though, went upstairs to check for a no-ball and after a couple of replays, it was confirmed that Jadeja had overstepped. Patel was called back to the middle, but it didn’t end up costing India as the 36-year-old was dismissed without adding to his score.

    The worrying sign for Jadeja is that this was not a one-off. In the first Test at Kanpur, the left-arm spinner had bowled three no-balls, which is a very high number for a spinner.

    FAST BOWLERS COME TO THE PARTY

    This Indian season was expected to be dominated by the spinners, with the pitches set to assist them. But there was a surprise in store at Eden Gardens as the pitch has offered a lot for the quicker bowlers.

    The pacers on both sides have taken majority of the wickets in this match and that is a clear indication of the way the pitch has played. With swing on offer and unpredictable bounce playing a major role, the seamers have taken 20 out of the 28 wickets to fall in the Test so far.

    On the New Zealand front, it has been Matt Henry who has been most impressive, with three wickets in each innings. On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up five wickets and Mohammed Shami took three scalps in New Zealand’s first innings.

    INDIAN OPENERS FAIL

    Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay could score an aggregate of just 34 runs in this Test, which is the lowest by Indian opening batsmen in a home Test since March 2006.

    Vijay, who scored half-centuries in both innings in the first Test, failed to bring his form from Kanpur to Kolkata as he was out for single digits in both innings (9 and 7).

    On the other, Dhawan – who made his way into the team for the injured KL Rahul – could only manage one and 17. It won’t be a surprise if Gautam Gambhir replaces Dhawan for the third Test at Indore.

    ROHIT PLAYS HIS MOST IMPORTANT TEST KNOCK

    Rohit Sharma seems to be finally coming of age in Test cricket as he played a vital innings on Sunday, helping India take a commanding position at the end of play on day three.

    Coming into bat at 43/4, Rohit showed great application – a trait which he has often lacked – to build a 48-run partnership with captain Virat Kohli.

    Kohli’s dismissal did not stop Rohit as the Mumbaikar kept his cool and guided India’s lead to over 300 runs. Rohit was finally dismissed for 82 just before the end of day’s play.

    With two half-centuries in his last three Test innings, Rohit seems to be cementing his place in the Indian Test eleven after being in and out of the side over the last three years.

    IMPROBABLE TASK FOR NEW ZEALAND

    If past matches at Eden Gardens are anything to go by, New Zealand don’t have much of a chance of winning this match and saving the Test series.

    India already lead by 339 runs and with the highest fourth innings total at the venue being 325/3 (back in 1948), the Blackcaps’ chances of victory look non-existent.

    In fact, since 1961, the highest fourth innings total at the ground is just 232.

    If you look at successful chases in the fourth innings in Kolkata, things get even worse for Kiwis – the highest being 120/2 by India, against South Africa in 2004.

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