At the end of day three of the second Test between India and New Zealand, Rohit Sharma’s 82 helped India take a 339-run lead with two wickets in hand and establish a commanding position in the Test.
Having begun the day on 128/7, New Zealand did well to get past 200 and that was thanks largely to Jeetan Patel’s 47 and his 60-run partnership with BJ Watling for the eighth wicket. However, they couldn’t manage too much more as they were bowled out for 204.
In their second innings, India got off to the worst possible start as they were struggling at 43/4 and then lost six wickets with the score at just 106 but Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha got together to ensure India’s lead went past 300.
Although Rohit fell short of his century, India ended day three on 227/8 with Saha still batting on 39 and with Bhuvneshwar Kumar for company.
Here are some interesting numbers from day 3:
3 – Only three times has a team conceded a first innings lead at Kolkata and won a Test. India did it against West Indies in 1974, Pakistan against India in 1999 and India against Australia in 2001.
4 – The number of no balls that Ravindra Jadeja has bowled in this Test series. Prior to this series, he had only bowled 3 in his entire Test career.
6 – Matt Henry is only the sixth New Zealand fast bowler to take three wickets or more in both innings of a Test in India. The last to do it was Daryl Tuffey at Mohali in 2003.
7 – India have had a century partnership for the seventh wicket in four of the last five Tests at Eden Gardens.
7 – The number of sixes hit by Ravindra Jadeja in Tests in 2016, which is the most by any Indian this year.
8 – Indian pacers have taken 8 wickets in the first innings of a Test at Kolkata thrice. Against Pakistan, South Africa and now against New Zealand.
47 – Jeetan Patel registered his highest Test score on day three. His previous best was 27* but he has two first-class centuries to his name.
233 – The highest fourth innings total by a visiting team at Kolkata is by England who managed 233 in 1961. They lost the game by 187 runs. Should New Zealand manage this total, they will have the new record.
325 – The highest score in the fourth innings of a Test at Eden Gardens is 325. India scored 325/3 against West Indies in the drawn Test in 1948.
2006 – Indian openers’ tally of 34 is the lowest in a home Test since 2006 when they managed just 33 against England at Wankhede.
2008 – The last time Indian pacers took eight wickets or more in an innings at home was against Australia at Bangalore in 2008. They took eight wickets in New Zealand’s first innings.
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