India vs New Zealand: Visitors make merry on Day 2
New Zealand dominated the proceedings on Day 2 of the first Test against India on Friday in Kanpur. India resumed the day on 258/4 before being bowled out for 345. Tim Southee claimed four wickets as Shreyas Iyer slammed a ton on debut. In response, the Kiwi openers added a century-plus stand to deflate the Indian attack (129/0). Here are the takeaways.
Tim Southee claims 13th five-wicket haul
Southee was excellent for New Zealand, claiming all four Indian wickets that fell today. The veteran pacer mixed things well and bowled intelligently. He was on a roll and got rewarded for being patient. He probed in the right channels, asking questions and maintaining the pressure. Southee claimed his 13th five-wicket haul and now has 319 Test scalps under his belt.
Iyer brings up a century on debut
Iyer slammed a fine century to be the 10th Indian batter in Test cricket to achieve the feat on debut. Iyer was dismissed for 105 as he managed to add 36 runs on Friday to his overnight score of 69*. He slammed 13 fours and two sixes in a 171-ball stay. This was a valiant knock from Iyer, who grabbed his opportunity.
Indian spinners fail to have any impact
Indian spinners weren't effective and didn't create much on the Green Park pitch. With the Kiwi openers choosing to play the sweep shot often, it perturbed the Indian spin trio. R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel didn't bowl consistently in the right channels to force any issue. Also, the ball didn't turn enough as a few deliveries kept low.
Latham and Young deflate the Indian bowlers
This was a statement of intent from Kiwi openers Tom Latham and Will Young. The two started so well to remain unscathed in the second session, adding 72. Post tea, they continued to dictate the terms and were all over the Indian bowlers. They dispatched the loose balls and rotated the strike to perfection, besides being sound in their defensive work.
Kiwi openers Latham and Young script these feats
It was a massive show by Kiwi openers Latham and Young, who struck New Zealand's seventh century-plus partnership in India. Latham is now the first opener to be involved in two such stands. This was the first 100+ opening partnership for a visiting team in India since 103 by Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed in Chennai in December 2016.
