IND vs NZ 1st Test Day 4 Highlights: New Zealand 4/1 at stumps, need 280 runs to win

 

STUMPS! 

India 3/1 in 3 overs: WICKET! Ashwin strikes, Young departs. Young took some time to take the DRS and that time-out cost him his wicket. The flighted delivery from Ashwin kept really low and hit Young on the front pad but was missing leg stump by some distance. Will Young lbw b Ashwin 2(6)

Saha goes off the field. Bharat replaces him. 

New Zealand 1/0 in 1 over: Good over from Ashwin to start the proceedings. Just one from it including a couple of appeals. 

Latham and Will Young are at the crease. Latham is on strike. Ashwin will open the attack.

Innings Break!

India 234/7 in 81 overs:  India have declared. New Zealand need 284 to win this game. Saha and Axar were rock-solid in the end as the duo wove a 67-run stand between them before Rahane declared the innings for India. 

India 225/7 in 80 overs: Saha reaches his fifty and stretches India's lead alongside Axar Patel. New Zealand badly looking for a wicket. 19 runs from the last five overs. 

India 206/7 in 75 overs: Axar, Saha posing as a threat to New Zealand. Williamson is switching bowlers in an attempt to break the partnership. 18 runs gathered from the previous five overs. 

India 198/7 in 70 overs: Axar accompanying Saha well on the pitch to keep India's scoreboard ticking and stretching the lead. New Zealand bowlers finding ways to break this partnership. 13 runs from the last five overs. 

India 185/7 in 65 overs Axar Patel has joined Wriddhiman Saha in the middle. Axar, who picked a five-wicket haul with the ball is looking impressive with the bat as well. He is looking to play shots while Saha is dependent on his defence. 

Tea Break! Action resumes in Kanpur at 2:30 PM. 

IND vs NZ 1st Test, Day 4 2nd session: The second session saw India rise to the occasion after losing wickets earlier during the day. The 52-run stand between Ravi Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer followed by a 64-run partnership between Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha handed India a 200+ run lead. However, at the stroke of tea, Southee sent Iyer to the pavilion and New Zealand bowlers returned for the break with a smile. 

India 167/7 in 60.2 overs: WICKET! Southee strikes, Iyer departs! Just the wicket New Zealand wanted. A short ball down the leg finds and an unlucky touch of the glove by Shreyas Iyer. The deflected ball is pouched well by Blundell behind the wicket and sets Iyer's way to the pavilion just before the tea. Shreyas Iyer c Blundell b Southee 65(125) [4s-8 6s-1]

India 163/6 in 60 overs: Iyer reaches his fifty and so does the partnership between Saha and Iyer. The duo stretches India's lead over 200 runs. New Zealand is in search of a wicket. 

India 150/6 in 55 overs: The solid stand between Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha is becoming a headache for New Zealand. Iyer heading towards his fifty and so is the partnership between the two. 150 comes up for India. New Zealand desperately looking for a wicket.

India 131/6 in 50 overs: Saha jamming well with Iyer on the pitch. The duo is tackling New Zealand bowling wisely and is going for the big hits sideways. 12 runs accumulated from the last five overs. 

India 119/6 in 45 overs: Saha looks calm and composed, taking some time to settle in and adjust to the conditions. Supporting the set batsman- Shreyas Iyer who is playing yet another fine knock. The duo is rotating the strike well. 16 runs gathered from the last five overs. 

India 103/6 in 39.2 overs: WICKET! Jamieson strikes, Ashwin departs! Indeed an unlucky dismissal as the short of a length delivery outside off stump takes an inside edge and comes crashing into the stumps. Ashwin was looking so good but. The attempts to drive on the back foot fired for Ashwin. Ashwin b Jamieson 32(62) [4s-5]

The 52-run stand between Iyer, Ashwin is broken. Eight runs from the last five overs. 

India 95/5 in 35 overs: Iyer and Ashwin look composed on the pitch even after lunch. The two are keeping the scoreboard ticking and clearly doing the repair job for hosts. 12 runs from the last five overs including a few boundaries. 

Lunch Break! Action resumes in Kanpur at 12:10 PM. 

IND vs NZ 1st Test, Day 4 1st session: Indian batters- Mayank Agarwal and Mayank Agarwal continued on their overnight score of 14/1 but couldn't press the run throttle well. At the outset, India lost Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Even the opener- Agarwal departed cheaply and the star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja walked off the field without opening his account in a stupendous swinging delivery by Tim Southee. 
Shreyas Iyer and the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin then took the charge to steer India through the choppy waters and up India's lead to set a handsome total on the board for the Kiwis. The duo has woven an unbeaten 33 run stand between them. 

India 83/7 in 30 overs: Iyer, Ashwin spending quality time with the bat on the pitch. Hardly giving any chances to New Zealand bowlers. Building up a much-needed partnership and sideways escalating India's lead.

India 73/7 in 25 overs: Iyer, Ashwin consolidate India's innings after early wickets. The duo is getting completely over the ball to avoid any casual and accidental hitting. Smashed 22 runs from the last five overs. 

India 51/5 in 20 overs: Fine bowling from the Kiwi bowlers hardly giving any room to the Indian batters to open their arms. Besides being economical, they are chipping wickets at regular intervals. Southee looks lethal with his swing bowling. 

India 51/5 in 19.3 overs: WICKET! This time it is Jadeja who departs on duck! The in-swing delivery angling in from fuller length strikes Jadeja on the pads and ends up in a clear plumb. Jadeja lbw b Southee 0(2). A maiden over with two wickets for Southee.

India 51/4 in 19.1 overs: WICKET! Mayank departs! The swing delivery outside the off-stump tempts Mayank who ends up giving a thick edge. The ball was safely grabbed by Tom Latham in the second slip. Mayank c Latham b Southee 17(53) [4s-3]

India 41/3 in 14.5 overs: WICKET! Ajaz Patel castles Rahane in an Lbw! A length delivery slid inside and hit Rahane's pad in the front. Rahane lbw b Ajaz Patel 4(15) [4s-1]

India 32/2 in 11.1 overs: WICKET! Jamieson removes Pujara! A short ball down leg, Pujara raises his arms to leave it but finds an unlucky touch off the glove. Safely pocketed by Blundell behind the stumps.  Pujara c Blundell b Jamieson 22(33) [4s-3]

India 32/1 in 11 overs: Not much of the swing on offer for Jamieson and Southee unlike Day 1 in Kanpur. Both Mayank and Pujara look quite poised on the pitch, especially against the Kiwi pacers. A little concern against the spinner Ajaz Patel as the ball stays pretty low on certain areas of the pitch. 

India 23/1 in 6 overs: 2 FOURS! Not a great start for Jamieson and New Zealand. Nine runs conceded from the over. Pujara, Mayank each smash a four. 

Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara walking out to the pitch. Jamieson will start things with the ball for New Zealand. 

 

09:03 AM: Glimpses of the Kanpur pitch on Day 4 of the ongoing first Test match.  

IND vs NZ 1st Test Day 3 Highlights: India 14/1 at stumps, lead by 63 runs

Axar Patel continued his golden run in favourable home conditions, grabbing another five-wicket haul to put India in the driver's seat after New Zealand were bowled out for 296 despite an opening stand of 151 on the third day of the first Test here on Saturday.

The left-arm spinner had a couple of dream sessions when he finally found the ideal pace and turn off the surface to completely derail New Zealand's steady first innings. His final figures read 34-6-62-5 as India got a crucial 49-run first-innings lead, which increased to 63 at stumps.

Ravichandran Ashwin was also on the money as he bowled 42.3 overs to finish on 3 for 82, inching closer to becoming the third-highest Indian wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Gujarat man Axar has been terrific since he donned the India whites at the start of the year and now has as many as 32 wickets in just three and half Tests. The five-for was his fifth having already got four in the three Tests against England.