Courtesy a 158-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling, New Zealand had averted a batting collapse and helped the team to a six-run lead at the end of day's play. Coming together at 94 for five the pair took the team to 252 for five till play ended on Day 3. Perseverance and patience were the hallmarks of their innings as they toiled to keep the team afloat. Though the scales are still tipped in favour of the visitors, the Black Caps had worked hard to extend the match to the fourth day. McCullum was batting on 114 with Watling on 52 at end of day’s play.
Earlier, in his first over of the morning, Zaheer Khan struck to remove Kane Williamson. The length delivery ripped past the batsman before taking the edge off the bat and was caught by MS Dhoni. And 25 runs later, the ace paceman, who had been troubling the batsmen with his length and a tight line on and outside off-stump, sent back Hamish Rutherford to leave the hosts on 52 for three. The opener nicked the ball to wicketkeeper to depart for 35.
The pace trio had kept the flow of runs in check and maintained a hold on the match. Although India got fewer wickets than they would have liked, they had done well not to concede the advantage to the Kiwis. In the last over before lunch they removed Tom Latham ending the developing partnership between the debutant and McCullum. Latham departed edging Mohammed Shami to the wicketkeeper and signaling lunch.
Trailing by 159 runs with six wickets in hand, New Zealand resumed their second innings after lunch but soon were five wickets down. Corey Anderson who had replaced Latham after lunch walked back handing a simple return catch to Ravindra Jadeja.
With the team struggling, the New Zealand captain was joined by Watling and the duo put up a fight to keep the hosts in the game. With the tail to follow McCullum continued to painstakingly graft runs and extend the NZ innings. The pair chipped away at the bowling as they worked the ball around to stay at the crease.
Brought back into the attack, Ishant had asked a few questions of the wicketkeeper-batsman but Watling scrapped through. McCullum who was dropped while on nine, also survived a couple of tough chances off Ishant’s bowling a while later. While an edge fell short of Dhoni, in Ishant’s next over the pacer failed to hold on to the return catch offered by the Kiwi captain.
In the latter half of the session, Zaheer came back into the attack and exercised his skills with the old ball as India looked to end the partnership while Jadeja persisted from the other end. However, McCullum and Watling rallied on, taking their partnership to 52 and the team’s total to 146 for five at tea.
Although India had put a lid on the flow of runs, the New Zealand batsman continued to bide their time at the crease. McCullum who was six runs short of his half-century at tea, swept Jadeja to get to it early in the last session of the day.
The introduction of the second new ball at the end of 80 overs also brought relief to Jadeja who had bowled tirelessly until then in a spell that 26-6-49-1.
Zaheer and Mohammed Shami then attacked from either end with the fresh red ball. But, McCullum who had settled in found the gaps and kept the scoreboard ticking. The middle-order batsman reached a landmark 5000 runs in Test cricket while he anchored the innings. The hosts closed in on the deficit as they shaped the innings.
McCullum who had reached his fifty off 146 balls took 51 more to reach his century. Having changed gears he brought up the three-figure mark with a six off Ishant off 197 deliveries. Watling who had diligently dug in his heels and stood at the other end reached a well earned half-century off 190 balls.
They overhauled the deficit towards the end of the final session of the day and took a lead which had seemed improbable earlier in the day. Batting for the better part of the day the pair defiantly took the team to stumps on the third day.
