India vs New Zealand Highlights, WTC Final: Kohli, Rahane put India on front foot on curtailed Day 2
WTC Final India vs New Zealand Highlights: Play has again been stopped on Day 2 due to bad light. An early Tea was taken due to the first intervention of bad light. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane took India past 100 after Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed by Trent Boult. India went to Lunch on Day 2 with 69 runs at the loss of two wickets. Kyle Jamieson broke the opening stand by dismissing Rohit Sharma for 34 after he and opening partner Shubman Gill got off to a fine start. Then Neil Wagner got Shubman Gill out in his first over. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl first on Day 2 of the final of the inaugural World Test Championship at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton....Read More
Stumps on Day 2
Umpires have made an official decision. They have called for the end of Day 2's play due to bad light. Kohli and Rahane will look to carry on their partnership when play resumes tomorrow in Southampton.
Umpires are on the field
Umpires are assessing the situation in Southampton. Official decision might be coming soon.
Rain anticipated?
Earlier the pitch was covered but now the run-ups have also been covered. Doesn't look like a good sight.
Difficult situation for the batsmen
It has been a game of hide and seek with the clouds today. It surely will be difficult for the batsmen to concentrate in middle due to several delays.
Raining in Southampton
It has started raining in Southampton. It could signal the end of day's play. Umpires will take a call soon.
Might not be a long delay
The umpires are in the middle chatting with groundstaff. New Zealand players are still hanging by the sidelines. Indian batsmen Kohli and Rahane still have their pads on and more importantly, it does not look that bad. This might again be a short stoppage or so we think.
Play stopped due to bad light, India 146/3
The light meters are out again, it does not look good and oh no, the umpires have decided to go off. Bad light stops play for the third time on Day 2, India 146/3.
India 141/3
Important period of play this. New Zealand two most experienced bowlers Boult and Southee are running in under overcast conditions against India's captain and vice captain.
Bowling change
Trent Boult returns to the attack, replacing Kyle Jamieson.
Rahane hits a four, India 138/3
FOUR! Poor delivery from Southee. When you attempt a bouncer, you bang in it short and also try to aim the ears of the batsman, it was nowhere near Rahane's ear and he just pulls it away for a four.
Good one from Jamieson
Pretty good two deliveries from Jamieson to complete his over. India 134/3
Covers are being taken off
GOOD NEWS! The hover cover has just been taken off, there was a big cheer in the ground and it looks like, the light has improved a great deal. We can be minutes away from start of play.
The hover cover is on
This does not look good at Southampton. The umpires have now called for the hover cover to protect the 22 yards. Still no rain yet but it has gone very dark and by the movements of the groundstaff, it does appear that they are sensing rain just around the corner.
Bad light stops play again
Would you believe it. The umpires had a check with the light meter and the reading was lower than the earlier one. That means, they will have to go off again. This is very frustrating. Yes, it has gone dark but surely something can be done with all the lights on.
Excellent over from Southee
Southee beat Kohli twice with outswingers, there was a single in between and then he beat Rahane with two even better deliveries those just held their lines. Rahane did end the over with a push through the cover point region for a boundary but full marks to Southee.
Pure class from Rahane, India 129/3
FOUR! Easily the best shot Rahane has played today. So easy to the eye. A fuller length delivery from Wagner, Rahane covers the swing and caresses that through the covers, all along the ground, no point chasing that one.
India 122/3
That was a miscued short-arm pull shot from Rahane. Thankfully for the India vice-captain it did not have enough legs to carry to the fine leg fielder. The fact that he didn't go for a booming pull shot helped him in this case.
Southee completes his over
Three balls were in Southee's over, which has now been completed. There was an appeal in the second ball for a caught behind but the umpire turned it down.
Players walking out
Virat Kohli and Ainkya Rahane have made their way into the centre and now in come the New Zealand players. This is a great sight. We will have play shortly.
The third session has been delayed
Right, we should have started with the final session by now but unfortunately the light hasn't improved much since the players went off for Tea. The umpires were seen having a chat with both Kohli and Williamson.
No rain, only bad light
Those wondering, the play has been stopped because of bad light (yes, despite the floodlights in full swing and pink ball Tests being a norm). It is not raining at all, at least as of now. However, there is forecast for rain in this session. We hope it stays away and we can complete what has been a riveting day of Test cricket.
Bad light forces early Tea
The umpires have decided that it has gone too dark to continue the match. So Tea on Day 2 has been taken 15 mins earlier. India 120/3. The umpires have taken a reading on the light meter, now this will be the benchmark for the next five days of this Test match.
6 runs from the 54th over, India 118/3
There were six runs from the Tim Southee over but it was not a one in which Virat Kohli can claim his dominance. Kohli played a couple of nudges in the first two deliveries but then Southee tested him outside off stump and even beat him once with the sucker ball.
Rahane breaks the shackles, India 112/3
FOUR! First real shot of authority and intent from Ajinkya Rahane. Grandhomme pitched it short and wide, Rahane stads tall and cracks it through the off side for a boundary.
Superb Jamieson
Kyle Jamieson has been superb today. After his first over, in which he tried all sort of things, he has settled into a nice rhythm, bowling at a nagging line and troubling pretty much all the Indian batters.
India 106/3 after 50 overs
A good comeback over from Tim Southee. A maiden. Kohli has been very patient so far, trying not poke outside the off stump.
Productive over, India 106/3
5 runs from the Trent Boult's over. It started with a Kohli backfoot punch through the off side for three runs then Rahane played a lovely drive to the left off mid-off to take a couple.
100 up for India
A nice backcfoot punch from Rahane. He rose with the bounce and punched it through the covers. It won't go the boundary but both Kohli and Rahane are quick enough to take two runs. This brings up India's 100 in the 47th over.
India 98/3
Three runs. Boult strays down the pads and Kohli whips it away through mid-wicket. Boult wouldn't mind though, it's just slightluy fuller from becoming the 2018-Edgbaston-Stokes moment
Drinks, India 93/3
A testing over from Jamieson. Rahane fended outside the off stump a couple of stumps but thankfully for him and India, it beat the outside edge. Another maiden from the tall fast bowler. An hour into second session of Day 2 and India are 93/3
Rahane would have gone, India 93/3
Rahane would have been taking the long walk back to the pavilion had Williamson hit the stumps. What was the need for such a risky single? We can die wondering. Rahane pushed it mid-off and scampered through for a single. It was straight to the NZ captain, who picked it up cleanly and had shy at the stumps but missed it.
Kohli survives
What happened there? There was a huge appeal from Boult. He seemed convinced. Umpire Illingworth went across to the square-leg umpire. In the meantime, New Zealand didn't take DRS within the 15 seconds time. But they went upstairs. There's a lot of confusion. Looks like it's an umpire review. Ultraedge show there was no bat involved. Virat Kohli is NOT OUT.
Boult gets Pujara, India 88/3
OUT! That's a classic Trent Boult dismissal. Ball pitching on off swinging back in to hit the back pad. The umpire had no doubts in his mind. Pujara had his doubts though. He had a long chat with captain Kohli, who perhaps advised him not to go for the DRS.
RCB vs RCB battle, India 87/2
Virat Kohli starts off the battle with RCB teammate Kyle Jamieson well. He leaves four deliveries outside off stump, Jamieson then tries bowl on the stumps, strays down the pads and Kohli flicks it off his pads for three runs.
Milestone for Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli reaches 75000 Test runs, the sixth Indian batsman to do so. He has taken 145 innings to reach the milestone - same as the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
India 81/2
Kohli drives through the off side, first runs off Grandhomme's bowling since lunch - that's 25 deliveries. Kohli pushes Pujara to run three, he so desperately wanted to get off strike. It was a bit frustrating to face the military medium from CdG.
Wagner whacks Pujara on the helmet
WHACK! Pujara has been pinned by a Wagner bouncer. He wanted to play the hook shot but got late. The ball hurried on to his grill and the protective padding from the backside of his helmet goes off. Wagner immediately goes to Pujara to check on him.
Second India batsman today after Gill to be hit on the helmet by a Kiwi bouncer.
Grandhomme on the money, India 78/2
Grandhomme is playing with India captain Virat Kohli's patience. Four consecutive maidens after lunch from the New Zealand all-rounder. Ever since Rohit's got out, CdG has settled into a really nice rhythm.
Pujara finds his touch, India 78/2
FOUR! One brings two for Pujara. What a shot that was. This time Wagner errs on the full length, Pujara uses those soft hands of his to just stroke it through the covers. He gets the timing perfect.
first runs for Pujara
FOUR! Pujara off the mark on his 36th ball and in some style. A cut shot with full confidence that races away to the boundary. Wagner lost his line a bit there. He can bowl these short and wide stuff and this time Pujara takes full advantage of it. A big cheer from the crowd.
Close call against Kohli, India 70/2
Huge appeal from Grandhomme and the New Zealand players. The umpire shakes his head. Williamson asks Watling but the keeper says not to opt to for a DRS. But what a delivery that was from CdG. Pitched on off-middle and shaped away to miss Kohli's defensive push and hit his back leg. Replays suggest that the ball would have missed the off stump.
30 overs bowled, India 69/2
Grandhomme too starts with a maiden. A bit surprising that Williamson went in with Grandhomme at the start of this session and not Jamieson or Boult. Meanwhile, Pujara is yet to get off the mark after facing 30 deliveries.
Wagner starts well, India 69/2
Neil Wagner starts the post lunch session with a maiden. Virat Kohli looked certain with the leaves and footwork. He also played a cover drives but failed to find the gap.
Day 2, session 2
Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are in the middle and so are the New Zealand players. An important session coming up. Pujara and Kohli are the pillars of Indian batting, NZ would be hoping to get both of them early.
Social media chatter
Lot of talk on social media about how the Indian openers batted against the new ball in the first session.
Former cricketers Nasser Hussain, Jason Gillespie, Pragyan Ojha, Aakash Chopra have given a big thumbs to Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
India would have been definitely a lot happier had they carried on.
First session in a nutshell
It was a good toss to win for New Zealand under overcast conditions but Tim Southee and Trent Boult will be disappointed with the way they bowled in the first 10 overs. Full marks to the Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill for playing beautifully in the first hour. But just when it was looking like it will be all India, Jamieson struck to get Rohit Sharma out. Shubman Gill was then dismissed by Neil Wagner in his first over.
Lunch, India 69/2
That will be lunch on Day 2 (practically Day 1 as the first day was washed out due to rain). India have reached 69 at the loss of two wickets with captain Kohli and No.3 Pujara in the middle. Both sides would reasonably happy with the proceedings. New Zealand would have the momentum thanks to those two wickets in the last 30 minutes of the session.
Kohli off the mark, India 67/2
FOUR! That's a Kohli special. Put in on loop please. A big stride in, eyes on the ball, high elbow and a beautiful extension of the arms. It races away to deep cover boundary. What a way to get off the mark from the Indian captain.
Another maiden, India 63/2
Tim Southee bowls a maiden. The pressure is right back on India. Cheteshwar Pujara has faced 21 deliveries without scoring a run.
Gill departs, India 63/2
OUT! Neil Wagner strikes in his first over, Shubman Gill goes for 28. As easy as you like. Pitched just outside off, goes away with the angle, Gill perhaps should have left that along but he follows it and gets an outside edge. BJ Watling, in his last Test, makes no mistake. India 63/2
