Tweet
Tea India 182 for 3 (Pujara 54*, Kohli 32*) v New Zealand
Trent Boult took out Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar © AFP
Cheteshwar Pujara, returning to the India team after 18 months, turned what he called his "second debut" into a statement of assurance. Slotted in at No. 3 to replace the retired Rahul Dravid, Pujara scored his second Test fifty and, with Virat Kohli, took India to 182 for 3 at tea on the day one of the Hyderabad Test against New Zealand.
The partnership of 57 not out between Pujara and Virat held firm after the departure of Tendulkar mid-way through the second session of play.
Pujara had gone into lunch on 12, and in the second session, while he did not rush, he certainly stepped up the tempo of his batting by a gear. The most memorable of his shots was a hook off a Chris Martin short ball. For a short while after, Pujara had to face bouncers and the sight of men in the deep, and quickly he reverted to his fundamental game. Kohli at the other end, was completely comfortable, using his feet and counter-punching whenever presented with an opportunity by a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack.
The bowler of the afternoon was Trent Boult, not just because he was the man to get Tendulkar's wicket. He bowled a tight, controlled line, moving the ball both ways at good pace, in short bursts of three and four over spells. In his third spell, the ball that got Tendulkar swung into him late and burst through the gate.
Jeetan Patel, New Zealand's lone spinner, did what he was meant to do: controlled one end and helped keep the quicker bowlers fresh. What his presence did though, during a nine-over spell in the second session, was deprive the New Zealand attack of having quick bowlers at both ends with two relatively inexperienced batsmen at the crease.
New Zealand would have walked in to lunch pleased that, on a track with neither grass nor bounce to start with, they had India at 97 for 2, with two relatively inexperienced specialist batsmen to follow. The India openers who have gone almost an entire two years - 21 months to be exact - without a century stand, put on 49, losing their wickets to poor shot selection.
Gambhir was caught by the keeper, feet frozen, as he tried to dab Boult to third man. Sehwag's innings of 47 was entertaining but eventful, being dropped twice, the first a tough change for Daniel Flynn at square leg when on 21 and the second racing past Taylor and van Wyk when he was on 35. Trying to cut Doug Bracewell, Sehwag had found himself cramped for room and sliced one hard and fast to the second slip.
Half an hour into the day, New Zealand's bowlers had found the right full length to bowl at India. As the ball softened through the afternoon, even though clouds gathered overhead, India's two young batsmen were able to push the session forward, and impress on their opposition the possibility that the balance of the game was about to change.
To India's advantage are the conditions, a bone-dry pitch that was withering, and that they have two spinners in the XI. And also the fact that barring Martin Guptill, no New Zealand batsman scored more than 130 from four Test innings in the West Indies. The only century on that entire tour came from Ross Taylor in the ODIs. But first they would need a score that could both tempt and challenge New Zealand.
Trent Boult took out Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar © AFP
Cheteshwar Pujara, returning to the India team after 18 months, turned what he called his "second debut" into a statement of assurance. Slotted in at No. 3 to replace the retired Rahul Dravid, Pujara scored his second Test fifty and, with Virat Kohli, took India to 182 for 3 at tea on the day one of the Hyderabad Test against New Zealand.
The partnership of 57 not out between Pujara and Virat held firm after the departure of Tendulkar mid-way through the second session of play.
Pujara had gone into lunch on 12, and in the second session, while he did not rush, he certainly stepped up the tempo of his batting by a gear. The most memorable of his shots was a hook off a Chris Martin short ball. For a short while after, Pujara had to face bouncers and the sight of men in the deep, and quickly he reverted to his fundamental game. Kohli at the other end, was completely comfortable, using his feet and counter-punching whenever presented with an opportunity by a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack.
The bowler of the afternoon was Trent Boult, not just because he was the man to get Tendulkar's wicket. He bowled a tight, controlled line, moving the ball both ways at good pace, in short bursts of three and four over spells. In his third spell, the ball that got Tendulkar swung into him late and burst through the gate.
Jeetan Patel, New Zealand's lone spinner, did what he was meant to do: controlled one end and helped keep the quicker bowlers fresh. What his presence did though, during a nine-over spell in the second session, was deprive the New Zealand attack of having quick bowlers at both ends with two relatively inexperienced batsmen at the crease.
New Zealand would have walked in to lunch pleased that, on a track with neither grass nor bounce to start with, they had India at 97 for 2, with two relatively inexperienced specialist batsmen to follow. The India openers who have gone almost an entire two years - 21 months to be exact - without a century stand, put on 49, losing their wickets to poor shot selection.
Gambhir was caught by the keeper, feet frozen, as he tried to dab Boult to third man. Sehwag's innings of 47 was entertaining but eventful, being dropped twice, the first a tough change for Daniel Flynn at square leg when on 21 and the second racing past Taylor and van Wyk when he was on 35. Trying to cut Doug Bracewell, Sehwag had found himself cramped for room and sliced one hard and fast to the second slip.
Half an hour into the day, New Zealand's bowlers had found the right full length to bowl at India. As the ball softened through the afternoon, even though clouds gathered overhead, India's two young batsmen were able to push the session forward, and impress on their opposition the possibility that the balance of the game was about to change.
To India's advantage are the conditions, a bone-dry pitch that was withering, and that they have two spinners in the XI. And also the fact that barring Martin Guptill, no New Zealand batsman scored more than 130 from four Test innings in the West Indies. The only century on that entire tour came from Ross Taylor in the ODIs. But first they would need a score that could both tempt and challenge New Zealand.