New Zealand vs India 1st Test Day 2, highlights: Rohit, Rahane rebuild before bad light curtails play

Rohit Sharma (67 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (23 not out) rebuilt Indian innings after the Kiwi pacers ran through the visitors' line-up. With 17 overs still to play, bad light intervened and brought an early end to the second day's play with India on 130/4, trailing New Zealand by 373 runs. Catch the highlights from Day 2 here. (Live Scorecard | Live Commentary | Tea Report)

 

10.31 (IST): Second day's wrap:

 

- Brendon McCullum and Corey Anderson continued from where they left off on Day 1 and went after the bowling early on.

 

- Ishant Sharma gave India the breakthrough by dismissing Anderson for 77. He followed up with the wicket of BJ Watling just a couple of overs later.

 

- McCullum continued to score while wickets at the other end tumbled.

 

- Ishant bagged his fourth Test fifer when he got rid of Ish Sodhi.

 

- In the end, a splendid effort from Ravindra Jadeja in the boundary line brought an end to McCullum's excellent knock of 224 with Kiwis at 503.

 

- Having toiled hard in the field for a day and a half, India got off to the worst possible start, losing Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara in the first over.

 

- Virat Kohli too fell cheaply, leaving the visitors reeling at 10-3.

 

- Rohit Sharma came to the visitors' rescue and tried to build a partnership with Muraliy Vijay. They added 41 runs for the fourth wicket before Wagner came round the wicket and flummoxed Vijay to castle his stumps.

 

- From 51/4, Rohit and Rahane worked hard and got their eye in to take the team total to 130/4. Rohit was unbeaten on 67 and Rahane on 23 when bad light brought an early end to day's play.

10.29 (IST): End of day's play! Bad light has resulted in an early end to second day's play, with India on 130/4, trailing New Zealand by 373 runs. Rohit Sharma (67 not out), Ajinkya Rahane (23 not out) rebuild Indian innings after the top-order was dismantled by the Kiwi pace attack.

10.05 (IST): Bad light! The players are leaving the field. Brendon McCullum doesn't look too happy. India 130/4, trail New Zealand by 373 runs.

9.57 (IST): SIX! Rohit Sharma steps out to Williamson and hits him over deep midwicket. IND 124/4

9.52 (IST): The Kiwis make a bowling change as Kane Williamson comes on. This is probably to catch up on the slow over rate. India 115/4.

9.43 (IST): Rohit is timing the ball very well here. He hits Southee for a four through covers. India 112/4.

9.33 (IST): Fifty for Rohit Sharma! He and Rahane have scripted India's comeback here. India 101/4.

9.31 (IST): 100 up for India with Rohit Sharma (49) and Rahane (12) in the middle.

 

9.29 (IST): Ish Sodhi comes into the attack. India 97/4.

9.18 (IST): Rohit Sharma is leading India's comeback here. An excellent cover drive takes him to 45. India 94/4.

8.52 (IST): Rahane matches up to Rohit! He is offered a wide, full delivery and he reaches the pitch of the ball and drives it through the off-side for a four. India 75/4.

8.50 (IST): Classy from Rohit! He gets two boundaries, first through the off-side in front of point and then deftly guides one over the slip cordon. India 71/4.

8.47 (IST): It is now upto two batsmen from Mumbai to help India recover from such a precarious situation. India 63/4.

8.39 (IST): Neil Wagner strikes early in the final session! Wagner comes round the wicket and clean bowls Murali Vijay. India in deep trouble. 51/4, trail New Zealand by 452 runs.

8.14 (IST): It's Tea time! An eventful session that saw McCullum complete his double ton, Ishant complete his fifer and India lose three early wickets comes to an end. India 45/3, trail Kiwis by 458 runs.

 

8.08 (IST): A hint of turn and bounce for Sodhi. Just 1 run from his over. India 39/3.

 

8.03 (IST): Cut-away! Rohit's eyes lit up watching a ball short and wide from Wagner. He cut it well and helped it to the fence. India 38/3.

8.02 (IST): Neil Wagner brought into the attack just before tea break. India 34/3.

7.51 (IST): Shot! Wide and over-pitched from Anderson and Vijay gets on top of it to play a very good cover drive. India 23/3.

7.49 (IST): McCullum brings Corey Anderson into the attack.

7.38 (IST): Tim Southee and Trent Boult and strangling the two Indian batsmen here. Testing time for both Murali Vijay and Rohit Sharma here. India 16/3

7.27 (IST): From the look on Virat Kohli's face after the dismissal, it was clear that he didn't nick it but the replays suggest, possibly, the faintest edge off his right glove. Exceptional decision from the umpire.

7.23 (IST): Virat Kohli is gone! What a massive wicket for the Kiwis.  A quick bouncer from Tim Southee and Kohli tries to defend it. The ball flew straight to Peter Fulton in the slips and the umpire raised his finger. Kohli looked extremely unhappy and walked away shaking his head. India 10/3

7.19 (IST): FOUR! What a stunning straight drive from Virat Kohli to the fence. India 9/2.

7.04 (IST): Boult gets two in the first over! BIG WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara is gone! He chased a wide delivery and played away from the body. A thick outside edge carried to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, reducing India to 3/2.

6.59 (IST): Shikhar Dhawan is gone for a duck! He fails to cope with Trent Boult's swing! He is squared up and the ball flies to Kane Williamson at slips off the outside edge. India 1/1.

6.58 (IST): The Indian batsmen have walked out to the middle. Trent Boult has the ball in his hand

6.47 (IST): Jadeja caught the ball just inside the rope, tossed it up, stepped out and in to regain balance and completed the catch to give Ishant Sharma his sixth wicket and the second-best figures in Tests.

6.50 (IST): What a catch! Ravindra Jadeja takes a blinder in the deep to bring an end to Brendon McCullum's exceptional knock on 224. NZ bowled out for 503.

6.44 (IST): With just one wicket in hand, McCullum is throwing his bat at everything. He moves on to 224. NZ 503/9.

6.34 (IST): Finally a wicket for Ravindra Jadeja! Neil Wagner is gone for a duck, edging one to Virat Kohli at first slip. NZ 495/9.

6.31 (IST): Meanwhile, McCullum continues to deal in boundaries. He sweeps Jadeja to the fence. NZ 495/8.

 

6.27 (IST): Five-wicket haul for Ishant Sharma! He gets Ish Sodhi to nick one to Rohit Sharma at slips who takes the regulation catch. Sodhi goes for 23. NZ 490/8.

6.22 (IST): Brendon McCullum welcomes Ravindra Jadeja by coming down the track and slamming him for a six over long on. Seems like McCullum is in the mood to get some runs. NZ 487/7.

6.14 (IST): Good start from Shami. He mixes it up well with a few full deliveries and a short one. NZ 474/7.

6.11 (IST): The post-lunch session is underway.

 

5.40 (IST): Day 2, 1st session wrap:

 

- McCullum and Anderson started well with a flurry of boundaries early on despite Indian bowlers bowling a lot fuller than the previous day.

 

- Ishant Sharma came round the wicket and struck against the run of play, to dismiss Anderson for 77, breaking the 133-run partnership. Replays suggested that the decision was a wrong one.

 

- BJ Watling walking in and out in very little time, giving Ishant his second wicket of the day and fourth of his innings.

 

- Tim Southee then made his way to the crease and provided some entertainment. Ishant tested him with successive short deliveries but Southee had the last laugh, hitting Ishant for two sixes in an over.

 

- Shami brought an end to Southee's cameo, cleaning him up with a full delivery. It was Shami's first wicket of the game.

 

- Ish Sodhi walked out and managed to stay on till the end of the first session, getting a couple of boundaries during his stay.

 

- In the final over of the session, McCullum slammed a six and a four to notch up his double ton, second in Tests and against India as Kiwis reached 473/7 at lunch.

 

- The Kiwis scored at run-a-ball, taking 144 runs off 24 overs, losing three wickets.

5.32 (IST): Double ton for McCullum! His second in Tests and against India! He sweeps Jadeja for a boundary to get to his landmark off the final ball off the first session. NZ 473/7.

5.25 (IST): India's overrate continues to be poor. If they bowl another ahead of lunch, they would have managed 24 in the first session.

5.21 (IST): 450 up for the Kiwis! Ish Sodhi flicks the ball to the sqare leg fence off Ravindra Jadeja to take New Zealand past the landmark. NZ 454/7.

 

5.13 (IST): McCullum comes down the track and hits one over Jadeja's head for a four. He moves on to 187. NZ 442/7.

5.08 (IST): Ish Sodhi comes out and Shami welcomes him with a couple of bouncers.

 

5.06 (IST): First wicket for Shami! Tim Southee's cameo comes to an end. He tried to shuffle across and play down the leg side again but the ball was too full and went on to hit the leg stump. NZ 434/7.

5.04 (IST): A length ball and Southee gets another six off Ishant. McCullum, on 181, is enjoying the Southee show from the non-striker's end. NZ 433/6.

5.00 (IST): Ishant continues but Southee has the last laugh here! He pulls one for a six behind square.

4.59 (IST): Good stuff from Ishant Sharma! He is testing Tim Southee with some nasty, short-pitched bowling. Three bouncers so far. NZ 419/6.

4.54 (IST): Shami hasn't found his rhythm today. A few short ones from him and down the leg side. McCullum pulls him to the wide fine leg fence and moves on to 180 off 261 deliveries. NZ 416/6.

4.51 (IST): Meanwhile, Tim Southee has scored three fours in his brief stay of 13 from 12 balls so far. Wonder whether the strategy is to allow him to throw his bat around. NZ 412/6.

4.50 (IST): Close! Dhoni has had a silly mid on for Ishant Sharma and McCullum almost played the ball right into the hands of Rahane at that position. It fell just short. NZ 408/6.

 

4.38 (IST): Ishant Sharma strikes again! He has picked up his fourth! BJ Watling edges one to Shikhar Dhawan at slips, who will be relieved to hold on to this one.  NZ 398/6.

4.31(IST): Glorious! What a straight drive from McCullum! Textbook stuff! It's unbelievable how that did not hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Has to be the straightest drive of this game so far. McCullum moves on to 175. NZ 398/5.

4.27 (IST): The Indian bowlers continue to persist with short-pitched bowling and McCullum is happy to cut and pull his way to glory. NZ 393/5.

4.21 (IST): BJ Watling walks out to bat.

4.19 (IST): Ishant strikes! He traps Corey Anderson in front of the stumps in front of the stumps. The umpire was quick to raise the finger but the replay suggests the ball would have missed the leg stump. McCullum, at the non-striker's end, is not happy but Anderson has to walk back on 77. NZ 384/5.

4.11 (IST): The Indian bowlers continue to try short deliveries against Anderson who pulls it once again. This time the ball runs away to the fence behind square. Easy pickings for the big-hitting Anderson. NZ 379/4.

 

3.55 (IST): Ishant comes back well with a few full deliveries but is unfortunate when a miscued shot off Anderson's bat races away to the mid-on fence. Ishant resorts to the short ball again and gives away another four. NZ 365/4.

3.53 (IST): Ishant comes round the wicket and bowls short to Anderson, a length that the latter can pick up in deep sleep. NZ 357/4.

3.52 (IST): Boundaries have come easily early on Day 2 but the Indian pacers are doing a good job at bowling consistently at full length. Dhoni has also placed a silly mid-off for Zaheer. NZ 353/4.

3.47 (IST): Ishant bowls on down the leg side and Corey guides to the fine leg fence. The 100-run stand between McCullum and Anderson comes up. NZ 351/4.

 

3.45 (IST): Another boundary, another milestone! This time for Corey Anderson who brings up his maiden half-century. NZ 347/4

3.45 (IST): 150 for McCullum! He brings it up with a shot straight down the ground to the fence. NZ 343/4.

 

3.34 (IST): Ishant Sharma bowls from the other end.

3.32 (IST): First four of the day! Streaky, from McCullum. He reached out to drive a length delivery and an outside edge flew past the slip cordon to the wide third man fence. NZ 333/4.

3.30 (IST): Day 2 is underway! Seems like Zaheer is fit as a fiddle as he starts the proceedings for India.

3.22 (IST): The worry for India will be Zaheer Khan's fitness. The Indian pacer was seen struggling with a side strain towards the end of the day. Although he was not as effective as he would have loved to, his initial overs could be crucial, specially against the left-handed Corey Anderson.

3.21 (IST): Under 15 minutes to go for the start of the second day. Identical to the first day, the conditions are overcast and it is expected to ease out and flatten after lunch. As far as India are concerned. they need a quick wicket or two to be able to expose and wind up the tail. If McCullum and Anderson can survive the first session, the hosts will definitely be in for massive total.

3.09 (IST): An interesting Day Two beckons as Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum continues to keep his side going against India. He will walk out unbeaten on 143 and need just 57 more runs to score his second double ton against India.

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