Ishant Sharma's persistence kept India in the contest but New Zealand remained ahead in the Basin Reserve Test after they took India's last five wickets for 43 runs on day two, and finished with a 51-run lead with five wickets of their own in hand, ESPN reports. Kane Williamson was the only half-centurion in the match after Tim Southee's early strikes did the damage in the morning. But India kept scrapping, taking three late wickets after the hosts had gone into the lead with only two wickets lost.
However, at stumps on day two, despite the late reverses, New Zealand held the advantage after a phenomenal morning and afternoon. In bright sunshine on the second morning, Ajinkya Rahane and India had a strange half session of Test cricket. Rahane first ran Rishabh Pant out, and then got out caught at the wicket when leaving the ball. Bowling into the wind, Southee complemented Kyle Jamieson's good work on day one with three wickets in the morning session.
When New Zealand came out to bat, India either realised the ball was not swinging enough or they were still stuck with the lengths they bowl elsewhere. In New Zealand, you have to get around the 5-metre mark - as the New Zealand quicks did - but India struggled to hit that spot. The one time that Sharma did that, he ended a threatening partnership between Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell by cleaning up the latter with slight late swing. Or perhaps it was movement off the seam.
Sharma's first wicket was not that much skill or accuracy, but just a strangle down the leg side to send Tom Latham back. That was a break India badly needed as 10 overs had already gone by without a breakthrough.
