India vs New Zealand 2021-22: First test, Day 2: 3 factors which stood out today

New Zealand made 129 for no loss in response to India’s first innings total of 345 at the end of the second day’s play in the first test at the Green Park in Kanpur. India had resumed the innings from their overnight total of 258/4, but were bundled out rather cheaply in the morning.

Debutant Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 105, while Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja made 52 and 50 respectively.

For New Zealand, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson took 5/69 and 3/91 respectively. In response, the New Zealand openers posted a healthy total by the end of the day without getting dismissed.

Will Young and Tom Latham remained unbeaten on 75 and 50 respectively. Thus, New Zealand are in the driver's seat at the end of day 2.

On that note, we would like to take a look at the three factors which stood out today:

#1. Southee led New Zealand’s fightback in the morning session:

Southee bowled a wonderful spell in the morning

India could add only 87 runs today before losing the remaining 6 wickets today, and the veteran Southee was the chief architect of the visiting side’s comeback. Southee swung the ball repeatedly and also used the width of the bowling crease brilliantly to get yet another five-wicket haul.

He got the first four wickets to fall in the morning and bowled unchanged from one end. This was one of the finest spells bowled by a New Zealand pacer on Indian soil.

Southee changed his angle by bowling from wide of the crease to make it difficult for the Indian batsmen to adjust to the line of the delivery. He also bowled round the wicket to left-handers and dismissed Jadeja and Axar Patel.

It can be mentioned in this context that the New Zealand pacers had predominantly bowled deliveries which were pitched back of good length, to Jadeja yesterday. They changed their approach today and got the reward soon enough.

Meanwhile, Ajaz Patel kept tight from the other end by bowling wicket-to-wicket. He also polished off the tail by claiming the last two Indian wickets immediately after lunch.

2. The Indian batsmen failed to be comfortable against the moving ball:

The Indian batsmen exhibited the age-old weakness against swinging deliveries leaving them, as four of them were caught behind the wicket. Jadeja was the first wicket to fall this morning as he tried to play a defensive shot off his backfoot against a delivery that was a bit fuller than good length.

Iyer, the centurion, gave away his wicket while trying to play a cover drive off an out-swinger by Southee.

However, prior to that, Iyer had already become only the 16th Indian test batsman to score a century on his debut. It was a historic achievement, but the youngster would have definitely wanted to stay on the wicket longer and take India’s first innings total beyond 400.

Wriddhiman Saha and Patel edged the ball to the wicket-keeper and departed without troubling the scorers much. Ravichandran Ashwin played a lone hand down the order and scored 38 valuable runs.

He played some free-flowing shots to take the attack to the opposition camp. Umesh Yadav gave Ashwin company for a while and helped India post a respectable first-innings total.

#3. The Kiwi openers remained steady as New Zealand finished on top:

New Zealand made a wonderful start to their first innings and did not lose any wicket in the 57 overs bowled by the Indians.Young, playing in only his 4th test match, showed exceptional composure and balance in his batting stance and approach. He handed the Indian bowlers with ease and played some nice drives, flicks and sweep shots.

On the other hand, the experienced Latham played a sedate knock for New Zealand and did not allow the Indian bowlers any opportunity to get his wicket. He played the sweep shot frequently against the Indian spinners and scored his 21st half-century in the process.

The Indian pacers struggled to move the ball and Ishant Sharma was not utilized by Ajinkya Rahane after his first spell. Umesh Yadav, the other Indian pacer, predominantly pitched the ball just short of good length. The New Zealand openers mainly stayed on the backfoot to handle him with ease.

As for the spinners, Ashwin tried a lot of variations while Jadeja and Patel were quicker through the air. However, there was not much bounce on the wicket and the spinners did not succeed in inducing any edge off the bat.

The spinners bowled a combined total of 41 overs, but remained wicketless. New Zealand would look forward to scoring more than 400 in their first innings, and thus take the game away from the Indians.