Shreyas Iyer got a century on debut, but it was not India’s day in Kanpur on Friday.
Braving groin issues, Tim Southee (5/69) led New Zealand’s fightback, getting the ball to move despite little assistance from the Green Park pitch, as India could add only 87 to their overnight total of 258/4. Thereafter, openers Tom Latham and Will Young’s grit and discipline helped the visitors to 129 without loss before insufficient light again forced early stumps on Day II of the first Test.
Going into the third day, New Zealand will certainly be in a strong position as they have all their wickets intact in response to India’s 345. Moreover, Latham (50 batting) and Young (75 batting) have laid an ideal platform for captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, the two pillars of New Zealand’s Test batting line-up, to build and capitalise on the openers’ hard work.
That said, the visitors’ actual test against Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will perhaps begin from Saturday, when the cracks on the wicket gradually begin opening up. How Latham, Young and the rest of the batsmen then tackle India’s spin trident will be critical to the outcome of the Test.
What India desperately need is an opening or two on Day III, which can certainly trigger a collapse. Just like it did five years ago against the same opposition and at the same venue. In that game too, New Zealand batted well initially but ultimately lost the Test by 197 runs.
Among the visiting batsmen, besides Latham, only Williamson and Taylor have Test-match experience in Indian conditions.
Positive mindset
Not that India’s bowlers did not pose enough questions, nor were the New Zealand openers spotless in terms of their technique against spin. But the visitors still emerged on top on the second day. Though Latham and Young weren’t beaten on too many occasions, there were moments when they appeared a little bit tentative, especially against Ashwin and Jadeja. The DRS came to left-hander Latham’s rescue twice. But what shielded the openers was their excellent temperament.
For a major part of the 57 overs they have batted together so far, Latham and Young went right behind the line of almost each and every ball, playing with soft hands. Remaining defensively solid with no fancy shots at all, they cashed in whenever they sensed an opportunity, focusing more on finding the gaps rather than looking to force it to the fence.
It reflected their positive mindset and they will need loads of it as the game progresses.
Lack of application
Earlier in the day, resuming on 75, Shreyas reached what truly was a deserving hundred. But the rest of the batsmen in the Indian line-up were not up to the mark.
Jadeja (50) was cleaned up with no addition to his overnight score, while wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha disappointed again. If not for Ashwin’s 38, India would have had a much lower total.