AGENCY
Kolkata: Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s devastating five-wicket haul after a late batting blitzkrieg put India firmly in command as they reduced a hapless New Zealand to 128 for 7 in their first innings at stumps on the rain-hit second day of the second cricket Test in Kolkata in reply to India’s 316.
The wrecker-in chief was Bhuvneshwar with a sensational 5-33, his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, from 10 overs that broke the back of New Zealand’s batting.
The Kiwis faced 34 overs in all today after a bulk of the final session was held up due to wet ground conditions and stumps were drawn early because of bad light. It was a turnaround of sorts for India, who had staggered to 239/7 yesterday on a pitch that offered uneven bounce. But the lower order came up with a confident performance to push India over the 300-run mark, helped to a large extent by Saha’s gritty knock which came off 85 balls and was laced with seven fours and two hits over the boundary line.
Passing showers of less than 10 minutes were enough to leave the ground unplayable for more than two hours. However, once play got underway, Bhuvneshwar lit up the gloomy atmosphere with his feisty spell.
Included in place of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar was at his furious best bowling a tidy line and length as he removed stand-in skipper Ross Taylor (36) in his first over after play was resumed following a two and half hours delay.
Bowling a beautiful line, Bhuvneshwar dismissed Taylor after he jabbed the ball at first slip and took two wickets in two balls by removing Mitchell Santner (11) and Matt Henry (0) off successive balls.
Mohammed Shami (1/46) bowled with pace and bounce to tighten the noose at the other end.
