New Zealand vs India 2014: Bad light stops play as New Zealand dominate in Auckland Test

Rohit Sharma scored a fighting half century

Auckland, Feb 7 (IANS) India were struggling to save the first Test here as they trailed New Zealand by massive 373 runs in the first innings with only six wickets in hand after second day’s play at the Eden Park here on Friday.

New Zealand were in complete control of the match after a record 224 from skipper Brendon McCullum took them to a mammoth 503 all out in first innings. The pacers then left India struggling at 130 for four when stumps were drawn early due to bad light.

Rohit Sharma was batting on 67 and Ajinkya Rahane on 23 as India face an uphill battle of not only to avoid the ignominy of follow on but also their 10th loss overseas in 11 Tests.

India went into the tea break at 45 for three and then came back to add another 85 runs and lost the wicket of opener Murali Vijay (26) before play was stopped.

During a heavily overcast afternoon, New Zealand’s Trent Boult and Tim Southee rocked the Indian top order.

Left-arm pacer Boult struck twice in his first over. First he squared up left-hander Shikhar Dhawan, who edged to Kane Williamson at gully and then picked up Cheteshwar Pujara in the third ball with gloveman Brian Watling taking an easy catch.

Southee removed Virat Kohli (4) in a controversial fashion when he cracked a bouncer that hit the batsman’s helmet before flying to Peter Fulton at second slip. Kohli pointed to his helmet and looked shocked at umpire Richard Kettleborough’s decision and India were reduced to 10 for three in the sixth over. But TV replays showed that the ball touched the thumb of his glove.

Earlier, a record double ton by McCullum took New Zealand to a mammoth first innings total.

McCullum’s 224 was the highest Test score by a Kiwi batsman at the Eden Park.

The Kiwi skipper and alongwith Corey Anderson (77) stitched a valuable 133-run stand for the fifth wicket that took the hosts to a comfortable position. McCullum, who was on 143 overnight, reached his second Test double-century off the final ball before lunch to etch his name into the record books.

He struck left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for a six over long to move to 198 and raised his double ton by slog-sweeping him for a four through square leg.

It was a chanceless innings by the New Zealand captain and he was congratulated by the Indian team. He took 462 minutes and 307 deliveries to score 224 that was studded with 29 fours and five sixes.A

McCullum also passed Ian Smith’s New Zealand record Test innings at Eden Park of 173, against India in 1990. The skipper struck the equal ninth-highest Test knock by a New Zealander.

McCullum fell one short of his highest and was the last man out with Jadeja taking a juggling boundary catch. His highest Test score, 225, was against the visitors in Hyderabad in 2010.

He joined Walter Hammond, Daryll Cullinan, Javed Miandad, Keith Fletcher and Gordon Greenidge, who have scored double-centuries at the ground. It was also McCullum’s second double century against India.

Scoreboard

New Zealand 1st innings (Overnight 329/4)

Peter Fulton lbw Khan 13

Hamish Rutherford c Rahane b Ishant 6

Kane Williamson c Dhoni b Khan 113

Ross Taylor c Jadeja b Ishant 3

Brendon McCullum c Jadeja b Ishant 224

Corey Anderson lbw b Ishant 77

Brian Watling c Dhawan b Ishant 16

Tim Southee b Shami 28

Ish Sodhi c Rohit b Ishant 23

Neil Wagner c Kohli b Jadeja 0

Trent Boult not out 14

Extras (b 1, lb 5, w 5, nb 3) 14

Total (all out in 121.4 overs) 503

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Rutherford, 9.5 overs), 2-23 (Fulton, 12.1), 3-30 (Taylor, 17.1), 4-251 (Williamson, 68.1), 5-384 (Anderson, 99.4),A6-398 (Watling, 103.1),A7-434 (Southee, 108.3),A8-490 (Sodhi, 117.2),9-495 (Wagner, 118.5)

Bowling:

Mohammed Shami 28-6-95-1

Zaheer Khan 30-2-132-2

Ishant Sharma 33.4-4-134-6

Ravindra Jadeja 26-1-120-1

Virat Kohli 1-0-4-0

Rohit Sharma 3-0-12-0

India 1st innings

Shikhar Dhawan c Williamson b Boult 0

Murali Vijay b Wagner 26

Cheteshwar Pujara c Watling b Boult 13

Virat Kohli c Fulton b Southee 41

Rohit Sharma batting 67

Ajinkya Rahane batting 23

Extras (b 5, lb 1, nb 3) 9

Total (for four wickets in 39 overs) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dhawan, 0.2 overs), 2-3 (Pujara, 0.6), 3-10 (Kohli, 5.4), 4-51 (Vijay, 19.4)

Bowling

Trent Boult 10-1-20-2

Tim Southee 12-3-27-1

Corey Anderson 2-0-9-0

Neil Wagner 7-0-46-1

Ish Sodhi 6-0-13-0

Kane Williamson 2-0-9-0