Xtra Time Web Desk: Indian spinners led by Axar Patel spun a web around the New Zealand batters as they were bowled out for 296 runs on Day 3 of the first test match at Green Park in Kanpur on Saturday. At stumps on Day 3, India scored 14/1, losing the wicket of Shubman Gill. The hosts have taken a lead of 63 runs.
Axar Patel returned with figures of 5/62 while Ravichandran Ashwin took 3/82. Axar was the pick of the bowlers as he got his fifth five-wicket haul to hurt the Black Caps. The left arm spinner became the first Indian bowler with most five-wicket hauls in first four Tests.
The overnight batters – Tom Latham and Will Young – resumed the innings at 129 for 0 and went on to add 22 runs to the total before Ashwin struck and provided the much-needed breakthrough after toiling hard for an entire one-and-a-half session on Friday. Young (89) nicked a turning delivery that didn’t bounce much and KS Bharat, who came in as a substitute for Saha, took a sharp catch.
Umesh Yadav gave India a vital breakthrough getting the big wicket of Kane Williamson leg before for 18 runs at the stroke of lunch with the score 197/2.
The Indians had the most productive session post lunch where they took 4 wickets. Axar burst into the scene and took down Ross Taylor (11) to get his first wicket. In his next over, he trapped Henry Nichols (2) in front and scalped the prized wicket of Tom Latham (95) who was rooting for his 12th Test ton. Latham went down the line but missed, only to get stumped by Bharat.
In the third session, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson tried to show some resistance but Axar had different plans. In the 123rd over, the left-armer returned to jolt the visitors to clean up Blundell (13) and then castled Tim Southee (5) to complete his fifer.
Ashwin came into the picture again and picked the last two New Zealand wickets – Jamieson (23) and William Somerville (6) – to bundle out the visitors for 296.