Host New Zealand have been the dominant force so far in the first Test against India at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The bowling and batting have been exceedingly well for Kane Williamson & Co, who sits on the driver's seat to go 1-0 up in the Test series. Meanwhile, former India cricket Sanjay Manjrekar has identified the difference between two bowling units.
After bowling out India for a paltry score of 165 runs in the first innings banking on four-wicket haul each from Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee, New Zealand secured sn 183-run lead. The tailenders wagged 123-runs for the last three wickets after skipper Kane Williamson gave a good start scoring 89 runs. Apart from Ishant Sharma, the Indian bowlers struggled to pick wickets including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
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The Indian batters had their task cut out in the second innings, but New Zealand bowlers were up to the mark once again. Trent Boult struck once again with the new ball removing Prithvi Shaw, whose poor run with the bat continued. Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara bailed out India playing out the new ball but Boult produced a ripper at the stroke of tea to remove Pujara to bring the Kiwis back in the game.
Tim Southee used the momentum to remove the set Mayank Agarwal, who scored a fine fifty before getting out. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's poor run with the bat continues in New Zealand as he got out for 19 runs. India will hope for Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari to play big knocks and take a massive lead.
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The cricketer-turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar identified the difference between the two bowling line-ups while commentating during the first Test in Wellington. The former cricketer said that New Zealand bowled as a group which India lacked.
“Ishant was left to himself to figure out the lines and lengths, Shami too and Bumrah were figuring out a way for themselves. For New Zealand it seems to be more of a teamwork plan, all the bowlers have stuck to this plan pf bouncers. The slowness of the pitch and the loopy in the bounce has been a problem for the Indian batsmen,” Manjrekar said.