Ind-NZ: India 292/2 at stumps, lead by 99

Agencies

Nagpur, 21 November 2010: Ishant Sharma took 4/43 and India’s top four scored half centuries as the hosts dominated proceedings on day two of the third Test against New Zealand at Nagpur on Sunday.

Sachin Tendulkar (57) and Rahul Dravid (69) were the two not-out batsmen at the end of day two after openers Virender Sehwag (74) and Gautam Gambhir (78) struck useful half centuries in a a 113-run first-wicket stand.

India had already surpassed New Zealand’s first innings score of 193 and were 99 runs ahead, as top-ranked India aimed to clinch the series after draws in the opening two matches of the series.

Sehwag made batting look easy on a pitch that offered some bounce to bowlers and reached his 26th half-century in exactly 50 balls.

He once dispatched Chris Martin for two pulled fours off successive deliveries and also jumped out of his crease to clobber a six in Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori’s first over.

 

 

In the second session, Sehwag hit Vettori for three consecutive fours: over cover, through point and past mid-wicket. He fell to the same bowler a little later, giving an easy return catch after hitting 12 fours and a six off 73 balls.

India reached their 50 in only the ninth over and 100 in the 21st as Sehwag kept up at a run-a-ball.

Left-hander Gambhir was more cautious after surviving a chance on 19, when Jesse Ryder failed to latch on to a tough catch at short-leg off Vettori.

Gambhir was out when he chased a delivery from seamer Tim Southee and gave a simple catch to Ross Taylor at gully.

Earlier in the morning, Ishant bagged two of the three remaining wickets as New Zealand managed to add only 45 runs to its overnight score of 148-7.

Sharma induced an edge from ovenight batsman Brendon McCullum (40) after he had scored just six runs this morning.

McCullum, batting down the order due to back spasms, batted grittily for 134 minutes, hitting four fours off 84 deliveries. Sharma also bowled debutant Andy McKay.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (3-57) then had Southee (38) caught at long on. But Southee had thrown the bat with success, once hitting Harbhajan Singh for two sixes in the same over. His 68-ball innings consisted of three sixes and two fours.