TeaNew Zealand 235 and 26 for 1 (Conway 15*, Young 8*) trail India 263 (Gill 90, Pant 60, Ajaz 5-103) by 2 runs
Pant and Gill added 96 at better than five an over to arrest the rot that had set in in on the first evening. Pant, in particular, was severe, not letting the lead spinner Ajaz bowl at all. Overnight 1 off 1, Pant began as he meant to go. Ajaz was too full first ball of the day, which Pant push-drove straight of mid-off, who moved deeper after the boundary. To the second ball, Pant stepped out, and drilled it straight of that deep mid-off, who now moved to long-off. Gill joined him with an inside-out chip over extra cover in Ajaz’s next over.
Then Pant played the lap shot for four to push forward short leg to behind square, promptly offering what could have been catches for the forward short leg the following two balls. It was Pant’s attacking mindset that had forced New Zealand to choose one of the two areas to man. Pant rubbed it in with two sixes in Ajaz’s next two overs.
Gill didn’t want to be left behind. He tried to hit Phillips’ first ball of the day for a six but ended up skying it to long-on where the substitute fielder Mark Chapman gave him a reprieve. That turned his innings around. He proceeded to put his head down and only took the boundaries on offer. He was 45 off 57 when dropped, his remaining 45 came off 89 balls.
New Zealand didn’t help themselves, dropping even Pant on 53. Glenn Phillips was then unlucky man to be denied the two wickets. Pant’s missed chance didn’t cost New Zealand too much as he fell lbw for 60 to Ish Sodhi. Sodhi had been introduced into the attack when the deficit had already come down to 84 and bowled two overs of half-volleys and long hops before settling into a rhythm. The ball that got Pant, though, was short, and it turned and skidded more than expected.
India batted more cautiously once Pant was gone. This was also the period, either side of lunch, when Ajaz found his mojo. India were only 40 behind at lunch, with five wickets in hand, but Ajaz’s spell of 8.4-2-27-3 dragged India back. This included then first maiden of the day after he had gone at nearly six an over.
Ajaz had found the good length, the pitch started to misbehave even more, Phillips held his end up with steady bowling, and the results followed. More than 10 overs went without a boundary, and brought the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan, the latter for a duck at his home ground.
Both of them fell to the forward-defensive without reaching the pitch of the ball. Gill decided he was not going to be a sitting duck. He upped his intent by taking on Phillips. However, Ajaz eventually got one to turn from a good length and take the edge for another catch to Daryl Mitchell at slip.
India were still 8 behind. Washington Sundar took over now, scoring 14 in a 20-run stand with R Ashwin and all of the 16 runs in the final stand with Akash Deep to take the lead past 25.
Washington was given a bigger vote of confidence as he opened the bowling ahead of Ashwin, but it was Akash Deep whose around-the-wicket angle and seam movement got rid of another left-hand opener. By tea, India had brought together the old firm of Ashwin and Jadeja with the ball doing all sorts, promising a thrilling final session.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo
