Tea Break : 456/3 Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 358 as New Zealand endured their second succe...
Tea Break : 456/3
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 358 as New Zealand endured their second successive wicketless session of the Indore Test. At lunch on day two, India were 458 for 3, with Kohli batting on 207* and Rahane on 124*.
Kohli carried on batting with the same understated authority he had displayed on day one, scoring 46 runs off 80 balls and only once getting in any trouble, when he went back to defend a Jeetan Patel delivery that kept low: the ball hit the toe-end of his bat, then the ground, and then bounced over the stumps. Otherwise, he was imperturbable, hitting five fours in the morning - the pick of them a straight drive off Henry, getting his head on top of the ball and using his wrists to place it between the bowler and mid-on - and giving New Zealand no sight of a way past him.
All the drama came at the other end, where the fast bowlers, as they had done through day one, peppered Rahane with the short ball, looking to exploit the uncertain pace and bounce of the Holkar Stadium pitch to plant indecision in the batsman's head.
Rahane ducked under the first one he faced in the morning, against Henry, and pulled the next one, at the start of his next over, to the square-leg boundary, closing his eyes momentarily but rolling his wrists nicely over the head-high ball to keep it down. Then, two balls later, Henry went around the wicket. Rahane swayed away to account for the angle across him, but it jagged back in off the pitch, followed him, and hit the side of his helmet, just over his ear.
A session where runs flowed and records broke. It started off with both batsmen taking on the bowling and playing some good positive cricket. First, came the record fourth wicket partnership against New Zealand for India, then Rahane's highest Test score and finally to top of the session, Kohli brought up his double hundred. New Zealand are just going through the motions and are waiting for the declaration. Williamson tried to keep them upbeat during the drinks break, but not sure how much that has helped. He will need another pep talk with his men for another long session awaits them. As for India, will they declare today once Rahane reaches his double ton? Or even before that? Join us in 10 minutes to find out
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