New Zealand
Matt Henry – 7.5
Since their three-pronged spin attack did not pay any dividends in the opening Test, the Kiwis turned to their strengths and brought in Matt Henry to bolster the seam department. Armed with a repeatable action, he had India in spots of bother during both innings by getting the better of their top-order batsmen.
Trent Boult – 7
The senior-most bowler in the New Zealand camp, Boult struck early blows with the new ball before playing different roles when partnerships began to blossom. However, he might be a tad disappointed at not making it count on a rare surface which assisted those of his kind.
Tom Latham – 7
Rapidly establishing himself as a doughty customer at the top of the order for New Zealand, Latham attempted to keep the Indian bowlers at bay with his trustworthy technique in the second innings until an inviting delivery from Ashwin breached his concentration.
Luke Ronchi – 6.5
Not the one to shy away from his natural game despite the demands of the situation, Ronchi got off to starts in both innings before Jadeja's persistence prevented him from converting those into meaningful contributions.
Jeetan Patel – 6
Flown in from a different part of the world to replace the injured Mark Craig, Patel dismissed Rahane and Rohit in quick succession following which he also scored a run-a-ball 47. But, his fortunes changed drastically in the second innings in either department and he began to wilt under the pressure.
Neil Wagner – 6
The workhorse of the New Zealand bowling unit, Wagner managed to break the threatening partnership between Pujara and Rahane. Although he tried to rush the batsmen with his whole-hearted pace, it did not reap much reward.
Mitchell Santner – 6
Potentially tipped to fill into Daniel Vettori’s shoes, Santner bowled a lot better in the second innings by sustaining the pressure. However, he struggled with the bat when confronted by the reversing ball and got out to low scores in both innings.
Ross Tayor – 5
Though Kane Williamson’s illness gave him the captaincy, Ross Taylor found the going tough in the absence of New Zealand’s best batsman. After reaching 36 in the first innings, the seasoned campaigner could not adapt to the end-of-day woes and succumbed to the swing of Bhuvneshwar.
Martin Guptill – 4.5
With the surface calling for a tighter technique against the new ball, Guptill leant towards his stroke-play to come out of a poor run-of-form. But, his troubles did not relent as yet another scant performance tightened the noose around him.
BJ Watling – 4.5
The wicket-keeper batsman grappled with the humid conditions on offer and had to relinquish the gloves in the second innings. Usually a determined batsman, Watling could not handle Shami's late movement.
Henry Nicholls – 4
Occupying the most important position in their batting lineup, Nicholls did not seem to be up to the task. Although he got a decent start in the second innings, his lack of decisiveness will not please the team management at all.
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