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20 April 2024

Kiwis take lead after dismissing India for 353

Published
By Agencies

Paceman Tim Southee mowed down India's batting lineup with the second new ball to pick up a career-best seven wickets as the hosts were dismissed for 353 on the third morning of the second and final Test on Sunday.

Openers Brendon McCullum (21 not out) and Martin Guptill (seven not out) survived the five overs before lunch to take New Zealand to 29 for no loss in their second innings at the lunch interval and a 41-run lead.

Southee, 23, who took three wickets on Saturday, destroyed India's hopes of a first-innings lead with figures of seven for 64 to give New Zealand a slim 12-run lead.

India's Virat Kohli, unbeaten on 93 overnight, needed two boundaries to complete his second century in Tests before he became Southee's first victim of the morning.

The 23-year-old Kohli (103) hit 14 fours and a six and added 122 runs for the sixth wicket with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but he misread an incoming delivery from the right-arm paceman, who was drafted in for the second Test replacing pace colleague Chris Martin, and was caught plumb in front of the stumps.

Dhoni (62), who hit his 26th half-century in Tests, was also out lbw to become Southee's 50th Test victim.

Zaheer Khan (seven) and Pragyan Ojha (nought) were next to go, both edging Southee deliveries to wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk in the same over.

Ravichandran Ashwin (32 not out), put down by Martin Guptill on 13 off Southee, added 33 crucial runs for the last wicket with Umesh Yadav (four) to cut New Zealand's advantage.

But left-arm seamer Trent Boult finally broke through the stubborn resistance by bowling out Yadav to end the innings.