Indore: New Zealand managed to survive a tricky period of nine overs in the final session on day 2 after India declared their first innings for 557/5 in the third and final Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday. At stumps, Martin Guptill (17 not out) and Tom Latham (6 not out) were at the crease.
Virat Kohli (211) and Ajinkya Rahane (188) took off from where they had left on the opening day as the Indian duo frustrated the Kiwi bowlers. The pair shared a mammoth 365-run stand to put India in the commanding position. While both, Kohli and Rahane, got out in the final session, it was too little too late for New Zealand. Rohit Sharma (51) scored his second fifty in a row as India declared after amassing 557 runs after electing to bat on day one.
While Kohli was watchful in his approach, Rahane was not afraid to take on the spinners and pacers. Although the approach of both the batsmen was different, it worked well as runs kept coming for India with ease. Kohli, who has gone through a relatively lean phase at home in the longer format of the game, shone bright as he scored his second double hundred in the longer format of the game. He also became the only Indian cricketer to have scored two double centuries as captain. Rahane, meanwhile, brought up his eighth Test ton.
Jeetan Patel and Trent Boult dismissed Kohli and Rahane respectively in the final session.
Kiwis had put India in a spot of bother with the hometeam’s top three were back in the pavilion with only 100 runs on the board on the opening day. However, the Kane Williamson-led unit squandered the advantage as Kohli and Rahane stitched an unbeaten 167-run partnership at stumps on Saturday.
