India in command after Patel’s five-for

KANPUR: India finished day three of the first Test against New Zealand in a commanding position after Axar Patel’s five-for wrapped up the Kiwi first innings at 296 Saturday in reply to the hosts’ 345.

At the close India were 14-1, leading the Black Caps by 63 runs in their second innings with opener Shubman Gill bowled by Kyle Jamieson for one before bad light stopped play after five overs.

Mayank Agarwal on four and Cheteshwar Pujara on nine will start the innings Sunday as the hosts look to put the first of two Tests out of reach on an increasingly tricky wicket.

Earlier Patel and the other Indian spinners — Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja — clawed India back in the last two sessions on Saturday after a strong New Zealand start.

The visitors were 249-6 at tea and the three spinners finished the Kiwi innings within 47 runs after the break.

Left-arm spinner Patel bowled Southee for five to complete his five-for.

Patel said he had been using the crease well on the pitch which is “slowing up even further”.

“Today (it) was even slower than the first two days, though it was turning more. It is difficult, but you can survive here with caution,” he said after play.

Ashwin took the last two wickets of the innings to finish his 42.3-over spell giving away 82 runs for three scalps.

Jamieson was caught off Ashwin for 23 and William Somerville was clean bowled by the offspinner to end the Black Caps’ innings.

Ashwin and Patel denied centuries to the Kiwi openers — Tom Latham and Will Young — who closed the day on Friday at 129 for zero.

Latham was stumped by substitute wicketkeeper K.S. Bharat off Patel’s bowling for a grinding 95 off 282 balls.

Young, who shared a 151-run opening stand with Latham, fell 11 short of his maiden international century after edging Ashwin to Bharat.

The 29-year-old told journalists after play that batsmen have to use the conditions to “take calculated risks to keep the scoreboard ticking over”.

Score Board

India won the toss

India 1st Innings 342 all out

New Zealand 1st Innings

Latham st sub (KS Bharat) b Patel 95

Young c sub (KS Bharat) b Ashwin 89

Kane Williamson (c) lbw b Yadav 18

Ross c sub (KS Bharat) b Patel 11

Henry Nicholls lbw b Patel 2

Tom Blundell † b Patel 13

Rachin Ravindra b Jadeja 13

Kyle Jamieson c Patel b Ashwin 23

Tim Southee b Patel 5

William Somerville b Ashwin 6

Ajaz Patel not out 5

Extras: (b 6, lb 4, nb 5, w 1) 16

Total: (142.3 Ov, RR: 2.07) 296

Fall: 1-151, 66.1 ov 2-197, 3-214, 94.3 ov 4-218, 96.5 ov 5-227, 102.1 ov 6-241, 110.4 ov 7-258, 123.4 ov 8-270, 127.4 ov 9-284, 138.6 ov 10-296, 142.3 ov.

Bowling: Ishant Sharma 15-5-35-0 Umesh Yadav 18-3-50-1 Ravichandran Ashwin 42.3-10-82-3 Ravindra Jadeja 33-10-57-1 Axar Patel 34-6-62-5

India 2nd Innings

Mayank Agarwal not out 4

Shubman Gill b Jamieson 1

Cheteshwar Pujara not out 9

Extras: 0

Total: (5 Ov, RR: 2.80) 14/1

Yet to bat: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha †, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma

Fall: 1-2, 1.1 ov.

Bowling: Tim Southee 2-1-2-0 Kyle Jamieson 2-0-8-1 Ajaz Patel 1-0-4-0

Test Debut: Rachin Ravindra (NZ), Shreyas Iyer (IND)

Umpires: Nitin Menon, Virender Sharma