Indian batsmen allow New Zealand to seize momentum with reckless shots

 Indian batsmen showed intent but ir reckless shot selection took m only as far as 242 on an eventful opening day of second Test against New Zealand, here on Saturday. Prithvi Shaw (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (54) hit contrasting half-centuries to take fight to rival camp. However, Hanuma Vihari's (55 off 70 balls) dismissal at stroke of tea tilted scale in New Zealand's favour as y gained a clear upper-hand by stumps. Kyle Jamieson (5/45) in an inspired post-tea spell blew away middle and lower-order to finish with his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test.

hosts ended day at 63 for loss with both Toms – Latham (27 batting) and Blundell (29 batting) hardly troubled by Indian pacers. pitch will be best for batting on days two and three which means that for Virat Kohli and his men, catch-up game starts from second day itself as igminy of a 0-2 series loss looms large. On a green-top, three Indian batsmen showed that scoring runs weren't difficult. Shah's lunging drive after his second half-century in Tests and Vihari and Pujara's ill-timed pull shots were a testimony that ir dismissals were more about profligacy than New Zealand's bowling.

Rishabh Pant, who has been preferred over a much-accomplished Wriddhiman Saha, purely on batting skills, played a lazy shot to find his stumps rattled. From 194 for four with a standard first innings total of 350 looking imminent, India lost five wickets for 22 runs in a period of six overs and it could well have a decisive impact in final outcome of contest.

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Jamieson, in his post-tea spell, got rid of Pujara, Pant and Umesh Yadav in quick succession as India lost a golden opportunity to press home advant. 32 boundaries and three sixes with a run-rate of 3.84 in 63 overs will t able to tell story of how Indians fluffed ir lines during day. immensely talented Shaw displayed improved footwork that saw him drive elegantly as likes of Trent Boult (2/89) and Colin de Grandhomme (0/31) were guilty of over-pitching in trying to get some swing. re were square drives and a few on-drives while he also played and missed a few. He did live dangerously but more importantly had scoreboard ticking even when Pujara was stuck at or end.

Neil Wagner bowled a bouncer and Shaw hooked him for maximum to reach his half-century. Having added 50 runs with Pujara, senior partner should have ideally calmed inexperienced one, who instead of playing for lunch, lunged at a fuller delivery from Jamieson to be brilliantly caught by Latham. Kohli's poor tour just got worse when Tim Soue (2/38) got one to shape in slightly finding him plumb in-front. Ajinkya Rahane jabbed with limited footwork as Pujara looked more assured about his off-stump even as he hit occasional drives but mostly holding one end up.

It was young Vihari, who changed course by counter-attacking trio of Boult, Soue and Wagner in quick time. Interestingly, when Pujara was on 49, Vihari was on 13 and by time he got out for 55, having hit 10 boundaries, India's number three was on 53. Vihari looked comfortably against Wagner as he played a slash over point to complete his fifty and n ar pull-shot off very next delivery. But Vihari played one shot too many as Wagner bowled a slow bouncer to take him out of equation. Once India came out to bat after tea, Jamieson changed tactic from bowling fuller to his usual back of length line that could create disconcerting bounce or batsmen.

Pujara got a good bouncer and re was balance while going for pull-shot. Indian innings was in total disarray by n and result was ar day where stars promised a lot and delivered too little.

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